Activities of Mara BIZZOTTO related to 2022/2016(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on a new EU Forest Strategy for 2030 – Sustainable Forest Management in Europe
Amendments (46)
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU has set the binding target of reaching climate neutrality by 2050; whereas the EU is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement; whereas forests and forest-based industries will play a major role in achieving these SDGs and Paris Agreement targets;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the TFEU makes no reference to a common EU forest policy; whereas Article 4 TFEU provides for a shared competence on environmental policy; whereas due to the specific diversity of the EU’s forests with regard to bio-geography, structure, size, biodiversity and ownership patterns, where environmental policy touches upon forests, it is necessary to duly apply the principle of subsidiarity and proportionality in the development and implementation of the new EU forest strategy (the strategy) and relevant EU legislation;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the principle of the European Green Deal as a cross-cutting approach to tackle the climate and environmental challenges in a way that creates sustainable growth and jobs in a resource-efficient, circular and competitive economy should guide the implementation of the strategy in managing trade-offs, creating synergies and finding the right balance between the multiple functions of forests including the socioeconomic, environmental and climate functions; whereas wood-based bioenergy accounts for 60% of the EU’s renewable energy use and its use can be expected to increase with the Union’s new, more ambitious renewable energy targets;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas Europe is the only continent where forest cover is increasing;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas a healthy, viable, managed forest is more sustainable and productive than one that is unmanaged, and also makes for a better carbon sink;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E d (new)
Recital E d (new)
Ed. whereas the Member States are responsible for forest management practices;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E e (new)
Recital E e (new)
Ee. whereas the war in Ukraine will have a major impact on imports of timber, particularly birchwood, of which Russia accounts for 80% of global production, and on Europe's wood-processing industry and exports of processed products;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. WelcomesTakes note of the publication of the new EU forest strategy and its ambition to increase the balanced contribution of multi-functional forests, to the targets of the Green Deal and of achievinge a circular economy and climate neutrality by 2050through, inter alia, carbon sequestration and the provision of a diverse supply of renewable raw materials;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Emphasises that, since the Member States have competence in this area, the Commission cannot establish sustainable forest management practices or set thresholds for sustainable forest management;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Stresses the need to respect the national forest strategies of Member States and their responsibility for forest matters;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Expresses its concern that the Commission, on the basis of its power to act on environmental matters, is interfering in forest policy, which falls, and in future must continue to fall, within the exclusive competence of the Member States;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Points out that the terms used to describe forests should be unambiguous and internationally recognised in order to establish commonly understood policy actions without investment uncertainty;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recognises the complexity of assessing the state of forests, as well as the uneven availability and quality of data and therefore stresses the need for continuous policy and scientific dialogue at all levels to improve data collection and harmonisation;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses the role of forests in mitigating climate change on the basis of a profitable, innovative bioforest economy and not a narrowing of their role so that they merely become passive carbon sinks;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Expresses concern about adverse factors linked to climate change, such as the exposure of forest areas to prolonged periods of drought and to tree diseases, including those caused by pests and insects, which cause damage to the environment and the forest economy; stresses the need to provide remediation mechanisms and financial compensation to forest managers for damage linked to these factors;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Stresses the issue of the under- utilisation and abandonment of forests, resulting in a loss of jobs in rural areas and increased imports of forest products from parts of the world where sustainable forest management is often not guaranteed; notes that the progressive abandonment of forests and lack of forest management diminishes their potential as carbon sinks and sources of employment, increases dependency on exports and makes forests more vulnerable to various disturbances, including forest fires; stresses the need for coherent, collective action for prevention, preparedness and response;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Points to the Commission’s recognition of the diversity of forests and the need for sustainable forest management practices based on a duly recognised dynamic concept of sustainable forest management;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Stresses that the current situation in Ukraine will have a real impact on Europe's processing sector, since our companies import large quantities of wood, including birchwood; stresses that it is very likely that production will be brought to a halt by a raw material shortage;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Highlights that for wood-based products to contribute optimally to climate change mitigation and a circular economy requires that they be used in the most efficient and sustainable way; believes that the cascading principle8is could be a good guideline for efficient use, but must not use a static approach and therefore must be adjusted regularly to reflect innovative uses; stresses that a well-functioning, un- distorted market incentivises the efficient use of wood- based resources; _________________ 8 As outlined in the Commission’s ‘Guidance on cascading use of biomass with selected good practice examples on woody biomass’.
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recalls that 2.1 million people work in the forest-based sector, while the extended forest-based value chain supports 4 million jobs in the green economy; calls on the Commission and the Member States to assess the effects of a shift in the balance of forest functions on the overall employment situation, especially in rural areas;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Stresses that it is essential to support and develop the working and processing of wood-based products in Europe to allow the processing industry to develop, thus enabling job creation;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Takes note of the Commission’s announcement on developing additional voluntary indicators and threshold values for sustainable forest management; underlines the need to align the Commission’s work with that of FOREST EUROPE and the Food and Agriculture Organization, as well as to engage with the Member States and forest owners and managers to ensure that indicators and value ranges are fit-for-purpose for their application at the local level under specific bio-geographic conditions;
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to give due prominence to business ventures in forests, which need to be mindful of all environmental and landscape aspects yet also need to help generate income to then keep people in these disadvantaged areas and to fight against abandonment;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Stresses that forest management depends on local specificities and recognises that changing forest conditions and types require different management regimes and this should be determined nationally, regionally and locally;
Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Takes note of the ongoing work on guidance for ‘closer-to-nature’ forestry by the Working Group on Forests and Nature; believes that to ensure added value, guidance on this concept should incorporate results-oriented, scientifically and locally proven sustainable forest management practices to give owners and managers the tools to yield connections and cooperation on better integrating biodiversity protection with improved management practices;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Stresses that sustainable and active forest management effectively prevents forest damage and promotes forest vitality and adaptability, while also providing a wide array of ecosystem services of benefit to society as a whole;
Amendment 335 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Points out that unsatisfactory forest management also poses a threat to the health of protected forests, on account of the general absence of strict protection criteria and of financial incentives;
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Reiterates its call for the protection of primary and old-growth forests and stresses the need to create a definition for what constitutes old-growth forests, in consultation with Member States and forest owners and managers; welcomes the ongoing work of the Working Group on Forests and Nature and underlines the need to consider a diverse set of attributes and ensure flexibility to account for specific conditions in bio- geographic regions and forest types; stresses that the principle of prior and informed consent must duly be respected in the protection process;
Amendment 396 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Stresses that the effects of regulation must also be assessed from the perspective of maintaining European competitiveness, and any additional regulation must demand similar requirements for raw materials and products imported from third countries;
Amendment 409 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Points out that the Union should increase its energy self-sufficiency and therefore regards any excessive restrictions on the use of wood for energy and the use of woody biomass as problematic;
Amendment 417 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Acknowledges the important contribution of existing certification schemes to the further uptake of sustainable forest management; takes note of the Commission’s announcement on developing a ‘closer-to-nature’ voluntary certification scheme; encourages the Commission to cooperate with existing certification schemes and believes that to create added value, the voluntary certification must offer foresters and forest owners and managers a sufficient price premium for the provision of ecosystem services;
Amendment 421 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Acknowledges the important contribution of existing certification schemes to the further uptake of sustainable forest management; takes note of the Commission’s announcement on developing a ‘closer-to-nature’ voluntary certification scheme; encourages the Commission to cooperate with existing certification schemes and believes that to create added value, the certification must offer foresters a price premium for the provision of ecosystem servicesforest sector actors; points out that the certification must remain credible, impactful and feasible for the forest sector;
Amendment 429 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
Amendment 434 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Points out that strict monitoring of harvesting blocks the creation of an income base that makes the presence of people and their business ventures in such areas worthwhile, resulting in them abandoning said activities and forest management;
Amendment 447 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Underlines the importance of the forestry sector as a provider ofin maintaining and creating jobs in rural communities and; notes with concern the steady decline in employment and the high number of accidents in the sector; calls on the Commission and the Member States to monitor the effects of measures taken under the strategy on employment and work safety and highlights the importance of making this type of employment attractive, taking measures to increase the safety of work and adequately training workers;
Amendment 453 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Points out that forest diversity and the various purposes for which forests are used mean that, at Union level, it does not make sense to create new certification systems for forests;
Amendment 455 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Welcomes the recognition of the climate benefits of timber construction and the intention to develop a method for calculating the climate benefits of timber construction products, which is a step in the right direction in the creation of carbon sinks at market conditions;
Amendment 478 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Takes note of the idea to introduce strategic plans for forests under the framework on forest observation, reporting and data collection; further notes that several Member States already have national strategies for forests in place; , and that this proposal could further increase the red tape and costs for actors in the sector; stresses that the aim and necessity of these plans must first be clarified and be subject to an impact assessment; recalls that the EU has no powers under its own treaties to act alone in this area and that the plans must therefore remain under the full responsibility of the Member States or the competent national or regional authority.
Amendment 487 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Points out that EU forest surveys must be reliable, consistent and comparable, based on national forest inventories and aim to minimise any additional administrative burden;
Amendment 491 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Believes that due to the multi- functional contribution of forests to high- level EU goals and the different administrative levels and stakeholder groups involved, the cornerstones of the strategy’s implementation must be close cooperation and the exchange of best practices with national and regional experts, stakeholders, forest owners and managers, scientists and civil society; underlines that governance must take EU and Member State engagement in international processes into account;
Amendment 502 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Highlights the importance of the Standing Forestry Committee as a forum for discussing EU policies that impact the forestry sector; believes that to achieve policy alignmentcoherence, the Commission should increase dialogue between the Standing Forestry Committee and other expert groups;
Amendment 504 #
28a. 28a. Emphasises that the Civil Dialogue Group on Forestry and Cork plays an important role in properly involving stakeholders in the development and implementation of EU forest policies;
Amendment 512 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Notes the extensive overlap and contradictions among policies and legislation that impact forests and the forestry sector and stresses the importance of alignreducing them;