Activities of Michèle RIVASI related to 2022/2016(INI)
Opinions (1)
OPINION on a new EU forest strategy for 2030 – sustainable forest management in Europe
Amendments (30)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls the EU’s responsibility in the protection, restoration and resilience of the world’s forests, which should prioritise proforestation in forest management as a strategy for increasing carbon sequestration and biodiversity benefits, including as part of its external dimension, proforestation in forest management to increase carbon sequestration and biodiversity benefits; notes that sustainable forest management can play a key role in climate protection through a variety of measures and best practices; recalls that forests’ carbon dioxide storage capacities will make it possible to move towards carbon neutrality; underlines the importance, in this connection, of increasing tree cover, restoring damaged ecosystems and regenerating soils, including through reforestation, afforestation and resilience- building programmes based on clear ecological principles, while pursuing the achievement of the 2030 Agenda;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Whereas forests have been cleared and degraded at an accelerating rate in recent decades mainly due to agricultural expansion, illegal or unsustainable logging and other activities like mining;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Recognises the key role of forests in protecting the climate and biodiversity; highlights that forests contribute to efforts to mitigate and adapt to the negative impacts of climate change such as extreme weather phenomena, including flooding, droughts, storms, soil erosion, heat waves and fires; recalls, in this regard, recalls that sustainable forest management can also ensure the protection of coastal areas and communities; stresses that forests provide a wide range of ecosystem services beyond carbon sequestration, such as the natural filtration of water; recalls the negative impacts of global warming on ecosystems and the migration of species due to climate change, which require specific monitoring and surveillance;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 a (new)
Paragraph -1 a (new)
-1 a. Whereas this deforestation has caused a massive loss of biodiversity due to the destruction of habitats, exacerbated climate change, with the release of vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, and increased risk of outbreaks of new viral diseases;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recognises the multifunctional role of forests, which encompasses a wide range of environmental, climate-related and socioeconomic activities, such as the conservation of biodiversity and the provision of renewable raw materials, helping to create jobs and boost economic growth in rural areas; stresses that policies that enhance the protection and restoration of biodiversity will help tackle climate change; calls on the EU tofor sustainable forest management in the implementation of climate goals, as it is key to reducing deforestation and forest degradation; notes that the EU forest strategy aims to boost the entire sustainable forest bioeconomy working in synergy with the EU’s increased climate and biodiversity ambitions; calls for the EU to help make forest more resilient by addressing the challenges and trade-offs resulting from the increasing demand for wood for materials, energy and the bioeconomy and the related rising risks of embodied deforestation imports, land grabbing, illegal logging and violation of indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ rights; is alarmed at Interpol's finding that forestry crimes, which are often perpetrated in conjunction with other crimes such as tax evasion, corruption, document fraud and money laundering, are the most lucrative of all environmental crimes; asks the Commission and the Member States to maintain their commitment to fighting illegal logging and the trade in illegal timber and forest-risk commodities;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 b (new)
Paragraph -1 b (new)
-1 b. Whereas large-scale deforestation for agriculture, mining and infrastructure development is causing severe human rights violations with devastating impacts on forest peoples, such as land grab, forced evictions, police harassment, arbitrary arrest, and criminalisation of community leaders, human rights defenders and activists;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that EU bioenergy policy, notably the Renewable Energy Directive, must meet strict environmental and social criteria, reflecting the need to ensure effective recognition of and respect for customary land tenure rights of forest- dependent communities and of indigenous people, in accordance with international standards such as the International Labour Organisation Convention (No 169) on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Land Tenure and Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems; calls on the Commission to specifically address the human rights of indigenous peoples and local communities through voluntary partnership agreements in the area of forest law enforcement, governance and trade; recalls that indigenous peoples, local communities, small holder farmers and women are heavily reliant on their own indispensable knowledge of forests; stresses that preserving natural resources is not just a matter of protecting biodiversity, but also a question of social justice as part of a broader vision for an ecological restoration; stresses, furthermore, that priority should be given to developing knowledge on forestry and forest protection, including knowledge transfer;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 c (new)
Paragraph -1 c (new)
-1 c. Whereas the Renewable Energy Directive incentives the uses of biomass for energy purposes, including wood biomass;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Union and its Member StatesNotes the Commission's proposals for additional, more stringent sustainability criteria for bioenergy as part of the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive; recalls, however, that wood-based bioenergy is currently the main source of renewable energy for the EU, accounting for 60 % of it's renewable energy use, while compliance with the sustainable forest management criteria under the recast Renewable Energy Directive relies on the existence of national forest legislation or on management systems in the actual sourcing area; expresses concern, in this connection, about the environmental impact of increasing biomass imports, as they may increase deforestation abroad; insists that the wood-based bioeconomy should remain within the limits of sustainability and be compatible with the EU’s 2030 and 2050 climate targets and biodiversity objectives; calls for the EU and its Member States to use forest biomass in a sustainable manner and to exclude the burning forest biomass from any renewable energy targets; of primary woody biomass from any renewable energy targets or eligibility for public incentives; calls for the EU, moreover, to consider providing support to third countries which have the potential to switch to renewable energy sources other than wood, thereby reducing the pressure on deforestation caused by the use of wood as a fuel, and urges that action be taken to increase forest cover and other wooded land where relevant; stresses the need to apply the cascading principle to woody biomass and to respect the circular economy principles;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 d (new)
Paragraph -1 d (new)
-1 d. Whereas a recent Commission Report[1] on “The use of woody biomass for energy production in the EU” shows an increasing overall use of woody biomass in the EU in the past two decades (around 20% increase since 2000), which may be additionally impacted by the increased renewable energy target; [1] JRC Report “The use of woody biomass for energy production in the EU”, 2021.
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that the sustainability chapters of trade agreements must contain binding and enforceable forest-specific, human rights and responsible business conduct provisions; iterates that the EU's trade policy should be consistent with,and contribute to its international environmental commitments; highlights the strategic importance of robust, coherent and enforceable sustainability chapters in trade agreements, together with the effective implementation of multilateral environmental and climate agreements; calls for standards and certification schemes to be reinforced in line with World Trade Organisation rules; reiterates its call for binding and enforceable mechanisms for the implementation of trade and sustainable development chapters on social and environmental standards, with specific provisions on forests, human rights and responsible business conduct, including provisions to guarantee the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples and local communities and the recognition of the land tenure rights of forest-dependent communities and indigenous peoples; calls on the Commission to conduct impact assessments on sustainability, with a particular focus on forests, natural ecosystems and human rights, on the basis of reliable data and evaluation methodologies; urges the Commission, moreover, to use anti-corruption chapters in free trade agreements to address deforestation and illegal logging;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 e (new)
Paragraph -1 e (new)
-1 e. Whereas harvesting trees to burn wood for bioenergy leads to a reduction in the carbon sinks of forests;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for the forestry sector to feature prominently in the 30 % spending target on climate of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe, including financial or technical assistance for forest-producer partner countries. , with a view to achieving and promoting an integrated approach to the UN Sustainable Development Goals; calls on EU delegations in third countries to promote the exchange of best practices and disseminate European know-how; calls for the EU, in particular, to learn from innovative projects in certain third countries, such as the African-led Great Green Wall Initiative, which aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land throughout the Sahel by 2030 and facilitate the development of agro-ecology and regeneration projects; calls for the EU, more broadly, to support partner countries in developing sustainable forest management practices and strategies on the basis of reliable scientific evidence and to prioritise proforestation - allowing biodiverse natural forests to grow - accordingly;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 f (new)
Paragraph -1 f (new)
-1 f. Whereas various scientific studies from the IPCC and the Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) conclude that the burning of most forest biomass produces more greenhouse gas emissions than coal, oil and gas[1]; [1] file:///C:/Users/itrepant/Downloads/jrc- forest-bioenergy-study-2021- final_online%20(2).pdf
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 g (new)
Paragraph -1 g (new)
-1 g. Whereas according to INTERPOL, the illegal timber industry accounts for up to 90% of tropical deforestation in some countries and attracts the world’s biggest organized crime groups;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Deplores that despite international commitments from governments and pledges from industry, forest destruction has continued on a large scale; welcomes, as a first step, the Commission proposal of Regulation on deforestation free- products; highlights its potential to trigger a paradigm shift that will minimise the EU’s contribution to forest and ecosystem destruction within and outside the borders, as well as the human rights abuses often associated with it, through the enactment of sustainability requirements and the application of due diligence obligation to all operators; takes the view that similar obligations for investors and banks should be taken to prevent and deter investments targeting activities linked to deforestation;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Recalls that human rights, in particular rights of Indigenous People and local communities and land tenure rights are highly impacted by deforestation and ecosystem conversion; accordingly, believes that the EU regulation on deforestation-free products should i.e. i) explicitly require operators to ensure the respect and the observance of customary law and tenure rights, notably the Convention 169 of the International Labour Organisation, the UN Declaration on the rights of indigenous people and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas; ii) guarantee effective participation of all affected right holders and ensure that Free, Prior and Informed Consent of Indigenous Peoples, and other collective customary rights-holders, is obtained; more broadly, calls for the respect of international human rights law as a requirement to place products on the EU market;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1 c. Recalls that stabilising global warming implies to put an end to deforestation and conversion of natural ecosystems; stresses the need to ensure that all commodities and products whose production has a detrimental impact on forests and other natural carbon-rich ecosystems threatened by EU consumption are included in the scope of the EU regulation on deforestation-free products; in addition, calls for the extension of its scope to include rubber, maize and livestock; recalls that the Regulation must provide a strong enforcement framework, with effective, dissuasive and proportionate penalties; ensure civil liability and access to justice;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1 d. Recalls the commitment taken by the EU and China in September 2021 to “engage collaboratively in support of reducing global deforestation through enhancing cooperation in conservation and sustainable management of forests, making supply chain more sustainable, and combating illegal logging and associated trade[1]”;urges the EU and its Member States to take concrete actions to encourage China and third countries to adopt similar regulation on deforestation- free products; [1] https://ec.europa.eu/clima/news-your- voice/news/joint-press-communique- following-second-eu-china-high-level- environment-and-climate-dialogue-2021- 10-10_fr
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recognises the multifunctional role of forests; stresses that policies that enhance biodiversity will help tackle climate change; notes that the EU Forest Strategy aims to boost the entire sustainable forest bioeconomy that works in synergy with the EU’s increased climate and biodiversity ambition; calls on the EU to address the challenges and trade- offs resulting from the increasing demand for wood for materials, energy and the bioeconomy and the related rising risks of embodied deforestation imports, land grabbing, illegal logging and violation of indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ rights;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that EU bioenergy policy, notably the Renewable Energy Directive, must meet strict environmental and social criteria, excluding primary woody biomass as an eligible fuel to public incentives and reflecting the need to ensure effective recognition of and respect for customary land tenure rights of forest- dependent communities and of indigenous people, in line with international tenure rights standards (notably ILO Convention No 169 and FAO Voluntary Guidelines on Land Tenures and Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems);
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Union and its Member States to exclude burning forest biomass from any renewable energy targetRecalls that wood based bioenergy is currently the main source of renewable energy, supplying 60% of EU’s renewable energy use; recalls that the compliance with the REDII criteria for sustainable forest management relies on the existence of national forest legislation or on management systems at the level of the sourcing area; against this background, is worried about the environmental impact of increasing imports of biomass triggering deforestation abroad; insists that wood-based bioeconomy should remain within the boundaries of sustainability and be compatible with the EU’s 2030 and 2050 climate targets and biodiversity objectives; Calls on the Union and its Member States to exclude burning forest biomass from any renewable energy targets; more broadly, stresses the need to apply the cascading principle for wood biomass and to respect the circular economy principles;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Is alarmed that according to INTERPOL, forestry crimes, which are often perpetrated in connection with other crimes such as tax evasion, corruption, document fraud and money laundering, is the most lucrative of environmental crimes;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Recalls that illegal logging is responsible for deforestation, habitat loss, species extinction, and contributes to global warming;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4 c. Calls on the EU and its Member States to strengthen the share of ODA to governance and judicial sector reform to combat and prevent environmental crime, notably forestry crimes, especially in LDCs;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4 d. Urges the EU to make the fight against environmental crime an overriding strategic political priority in international judicial cooperation and at COP meetings, including through the promotion of the enlargement of the scope of the International Criminal Court to cover criminal acts that amount to ecocide;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
4 e. While poor forest governance lead to illegal logging, reiterates its support to FLEGT Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs), as an important tool to address the root causes of illegality, which include corruption, a lack of clarity over land rights, and the excessive influence of the timber industry over forest policies and legislation; calls on the EU to step up forest diplomacy, through FLEGT and Forest partnerships for forest protection and restoration, which uphold international human rights law, notably the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities with customary tenure systems;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 f (new)
Paragraph 4 f (new)
4 f. Reiterates that the EU trade policy should be consistent with, and contributes to, its international environmental commitments; calls on the Commission to ensure that the impact of trade on the state of forests, natural ecosystems and human rights is systematically evaluated in the framework of sustainability impact assessments; urges the Commission to use FTA anti-corruption chapters to address deforestation and illegal logging;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that the sustainability chapters of trade agreements must contain binding and enforceable forest-specific, human rights, anti-corruption and responsible business conduct provisions, including provisions to guarantee Free, Prior and Informed consent of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities and the recognition of land tenure rights of forest-dependent communities and of indigenous people;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for the forestry sector to feature prominently in the 30 % spending target on climate of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe, including financial or technical assistance for forest-producer partner countries.; in particular, calls on the EU to support partner countries in developing sustainable forest management practices and strategies based on scientific evidence and to prioritise accordingly proforestation (allow the biodiverse natural forests to grow), which brings more immediate benefits to address the dual global crises of climate change and biodiversity loss than a strategy based on afforestation (planting new forests) or reforestation;