COM(2010)0430

The Commission presents its final report on the implementation of the Forest Focus scheme according to Regulation (EC) No 2152/2003 concerning monitoring of forests and environmental interactions in the Community (Forest Focus).

The Forest Focus Regulation aimed to establish a scheme for long term monitoring of the condition and of the environmental interactions on forests in the European Union. The scheme included the continuation of the existing monitoring networks on air pollution and its impacts on forests, forest fires, their causes and effects and the co financing of forest fire prevention activities. It also broadened the scope of EU forest monitoring through the gathering of information on soils, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, climate change effects and protective functions of forests.

As mentioned in the January 2008 report, the implementation of the Forest Focus Regulation took more time than the four years envisaged. This report complements the previous one and mainly aims at reporting on the use of the Forest Focus budget.

Results : in general, the objectives have been fulfilled and the high implementation rate can be considered as a success. Former forest monitoring and forest fire prevention legislation has been given an integrated approach by Forest Focus. Under the scheme, the Forest Focus database has been created and contains aggregated data and information on the state of EU forests.

The delay in setting up the scheme has caused problems for the national competent bodies in charge of the implementation of the activities in the national programmes. However, only in exceptional cases were part of the activities withdrawn from what was initially planned. Forest-related information has been gathered, notably on soil and biodiversity, broadening the scope of forest monitoring for the first time. The information on soils and above ground biodiversity form part of the Biosoil database established under the scheme.

A significant percentage of the funding was provided for the development of research studies and demonstration projects on biodiversity, carbon stocks, forest soil biodiversity, forest fires, ozone, climate change, genetic diversity, fungi, lichens and other forest related issues.

As regards forest fires, the European Forest Fire Information System, EFFIS , has been established and further developed under the scheme. Especially noteworthy are the modules on Natura 2000 and forests, estimated atmospheric emissions or post fire soil erosion that were created. EFFIS is now a core element of European forest fire monitoring and its maintenance is assured until the end of 2010 by means of a pilot project requested by the European Parliament.

Financial Implementation : from the total budget of the scheme (EUR 65 million), a total amount of EUR 56,468,222 was allocated to perform the national programmes. A total of EUR 7,587,586 was allocated for the agreement with the Joint Research Centre, the execution of the mid term review of the scheme, the agreement with ICP-Forest, and for the expert meetings and conferences.

A total amount of EUR 53,342,555.09 was spent on the scheme. The activities in the national programmes accounted for EUR 45,772,306.10 and the rest of the Forest Focus budget was EUR 7,570,248.99.

An analysis of the expenditure per activity shows that the larger part of the funding, 43% has gone to the intensive air pollution monitoring (Level II network). Following in magnitude, 32% has gone on studies and demonstration projects. 11% was spent in forest fire related activities. The systematic Level I monitoring network used only 9% of the total budget and 5% of the budget went to coordination and management activities.

The assessment of the expenditure by Member State and activity shows that most of the financial resources were devoted to the intensive monitoring of forest health, followed by the development of studies and demonstration projects and by fire monitoring activities.

Conclusions : a number of conclusions can be drawn from on the implementation of the scheme:

forest monitoring in the EU has devoted the majority of its financing resources to the intensive monitoring network (Level II). This network does not provide enough representative information on the state of EU forests and the resources and funds deployed in such a network are very high; traditional crown condition monitoring has been gathered already for 20 years since EU forests started showing symptoms of acid rain damage. Latest results have shown that forest condition is more stable nowadays and that sulphur content levels have decreased whilst nitrogen levels remain stable. Crown condition can still be considered as a representative and cost effective indicator for the state of forests. Nevertheless, it gives rough information on forest health and it should be complemented with other information on visible damage; other indicators should be included in future forest monitoring systems, using networks that provide consistent information at EU level; forest soil and biodiversity monitoring should be continued in the future, as they deliver crucial information for EU policy making, but also for contributing to international conventions, such as the UNCCC or the CBD.

With regard to forest fires and in the absence of a legal basis, the question of how to assure continuation of EFFIS and the Commission's expert group on forest fires will need to be addressed in the context of the new financial perspectives and on the Green Paper on forest protection and information.

The Forest Focus Regulation was repealed in 2006 by the Life+ Regulation (EC) No 614/2007. So far, there is one forest monitoring project ongoing under the Life+ Regulation, conceived for a two-year period only (2009 and 2010) and unlike the Forest Focus scheme, it is based on a voluntary approach.

The Green Paper adopted on 1 March 2010 presents the current state of play of EU forests and sets out the main challenges they face as regards climate change, as part of the follow-up to the White Paper on adapting to climate change . It also refers to existing forest information systems and the tools to protect forests, and raises a series of questions relevant to the development of future policy options. A public consultation, to which this report may contribute, is open until end of July 2010. The follow up to the Forest Focus Regulation, the more recent action under Life+ and the wider issue of forest monitoring will be taken into consideration in the context of the next steps after the Green Paper

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SEC(2010)0978
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This report has been prepared by the Commission in accordance with requirements set out in Regulation No (EC) 2152/2002; the “Forest Focus” Regulation. The main purpose of the Regulation is to establish a Community scheme for the long-term monitoring of European forests between 2003 and 2006. Regulation No (EC) 2152/2002 has now been repealed and its main provisions taken over by the LIFE+ Regulation. This analysis, therefore, focuses on the four year “Forest Focus” scheme only.

To recall, Forest Focus centred on the monitoring of atmospheric pollution and how this affects forests, monitoring forest fires, their causes and effects and examine aspects relating to forest fire prevention. The scheme also foresaw the development of new monitoring instruments relating to soil monitoring, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, climate change and the protective role of forests. The Member States are still carrying out a number of studies and experiments, the outcome of which will be known in the course of 2008.

Whilst the Commission was responsible for coordinating, monitoring and developing the scheme the Member States were required to designate a competent authority to manage the national programme. The total Forest Focus budget over the 4-year period was EUR 65 million, including EUR 9 million for fire prevention measures. The EU contribution towards the cost of national programmes stood at between 50% to 75% - depending on the type of activity funded. Forest Focus activities, for each national programme, were divided into a number of activities including: project coordination and management (activities related to the coordination of the national programme); Level I monitoring network (installation and maintenance of a systematic grid net); Level II plots involving intensive monitoring (such as crown condition measurements); forest fire prevention activities (including the European Forest Fire Information System); and Studies and demonstration projects (such as identifying some of the causes of forest fires).

Although various studies under Forest Focus will not be completed until 2008, the Commission undertook an external evaluation of the programme’s management and forest conditions for the year 2005. The evaluation was carried out by one UK and one Finish research institute. This evaluators made the following findings:

The management of the programme has been cost effective. Monitoring activities should include, not only the health of forests, but air pollution as well. Other parameters relating to climate change, biodiversity and the protective functions of forests should also be included in future monitoring activities. Data from national forest inventories should be taken into account when forest monitoring takes place. The monitoring scheme should be continued.

The evaluators expressed some concern that in repealing the Forest Focus Regulation Member States would no longer be obliged to undertake a co-ordinated, EU-wide, inspection of Europe’s forests. The main recommendations, as set out by the evaluators, has therefore been taken on board and incorporated into the LIFE+ Regulation. In addition, the EU has adopted the “EU Forest Action Plan 2007-2011”. Indeed, the purpose of Action 8 is the establishment of a European Forest Monitoring System.

Further, LIFE+ provides for the establishment of national forest inventories. Given that LIFE+ is based on voluntary participation, the report predicts that, in future, monitoring will be more policy specific driven and include parameters such as climate change, biodiversity and the protective function of forests – rather than a simple continuation of observations based on traditional parameters (as was the case under the “Forest Focus” scheme).

As far as the management of the scheme is concerned, the report notes that the average financial commitment per programme is low. For 2003-2004 it amounted to approximately EUR 0.5 million per contracting party ranging between EUR 20 000 and EUR 2.7 million. For 2005 it was EUR 0.4 million ranging between EUR 20 000 and EUR 2.1 million and for 2006 EUR 0.4 million ranging from EUR 28 000 to EUR 2.1 million. Of this amount, approximately 7% was devoted to the co-ordination and management of the national programmes.

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ACT: Commission Regulation 1737/2006/EC of 7 November 2006 laying down rules for the implementation of Regulation 2152/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning monitoring of forests and environmental interactions in the Community.

CONTENT: this Regulation lays down the detailed rules for the implementation of:

1) Monitoring air pollution effects on forest ecosystems: this is to be carried out on the basis of the systematic network of observation points and of the network of observation plots for intensive monitoring. By 15 December each year, each Member State shall forward to the Commission the data collected during the preceding year for each Level I point. The number of observation plots (Level II) to be selected for that network shall be limited to 15 for each Member State. By 15 December each year Member States shall forward to the Commission all data measured during the preceding year for each Level II plot.

2) European Forest Fire Information System: the “European Forest Fire Information System” (EFFIS) will be operated by the Joint Research Centre of the Commission. By 1 July each year, each Member State will be obliged to submit common core data for every forest fire in their territory to the Commission for the previous year.

3) Studies, experiments and demonstration projects: the Commission will establish a ranking of priorities for granting Community support to proposals for studies, experiments and demonstration projects and testing on the basis of a pilot phase submitted by the Member States.

4) Competent Bodies: each Member State must designate a competent body to be the contact point for the Commission. Belgium, Germany and Portugal may designate more than one competent body. The competent bodies may be either public-sector bodies or private law entities with a public-service mission and must offer adequate financial guarantees. They must first be approved by the Commission. Their tasks will be to:

take appropriate measures to prevent irregularities and fraud and, if necessary, bring prosecutions to recover funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly used; provide the Commission with any information it requests; be the intermediary to whom the Community contribution is paid and hold the accounts and records of the receipt and payment of that contribution in support of the national programme;

The Regulation also contains provisions on:

the information and supporting documents that national programmes must contain; the definition of eligible costs; amounts lost through irregularities; checks, audits and technical visits; the tasks of the Scientific Advisory Group; access to data.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 03/12/2006

32006R1737
OJ L 334 30.11.2006, p. 0001-0073

Regulation 2003/2152
OJ L 324 11.12.2003, p. 0001-0008

COM(2003)0738
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T5-0439/2003
OJ C 082 01.04.2004, p. 0025-0078 E

T5-0439/2003

Debate in Parliament

A5-0343/2003

A5-0343/2003

SEC(2003)0725
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08243/1/2003
OJ C 233 30.09.2003, p. 0001-0011 E

08243/1/2003

09867/1/2003

T5-0059/2003
OJ C 043 19.02.2004, p. 0279-0330 E

T5-0059/2003

CDR0345/2002
OJ C 128 29.05.2003, p. 0041-0042

Debate in Parliament

A5-0022/2003

A5-0022/2003

CES1368/2002
OJ C 085 08.04.2003, p. 0083-0086

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COM(2002)0404
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OJ C 020 28.01.2003, p. 0067 E

COM(2002)0404
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