Communication on ‘a new EU forest strategy: for forests and the forest-based sector’

Summary:

Communication published by the European Commission in September 2013, which sets out a Forest Strategy for the European Union (EU).

Further information:

While the TFEU makes no specific reference for an EU forest policy, the European Union has long contributed through its policies to implementing sustainable forest management and to Member States' decisions on forests. Based on subsidiarity and shared responsibility, the 1998 EU Forestry Strategy established a framework for forest-related actions that support sustainable forest management and are based on cooperative, beneficial links between EU and Member State policies and initiatives. The Forest Action Plan 2007-2011 was an important instrument for implementing the strategy and addressed four objectives: competitiveness, environment, quality of life and coordination and communication.

An assessment of the Action Plan underlined the need for a new forest strategy that:

• develops and implements a common vision of multifunctional and sustainable forest management in Europe;
• defines action priorities and targets; links EU and Member State funding strategies and plans;
• strengthens coherent cross-sectorial activity planning, funding and implementation;
• establishes clear mechanisms for monitoring, evaluating and reporting;
• revises stakeholder involvement.

This Communication - adopted by the European Commission on 23 September 2013 - supports these recommendations by providing strategic orientations. The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament later reacted to the Strategy put forward by the Commission.

Official

EUR-Lex: SWD(2013)342: Commission Staff Working Document accompanying COM(2013)659 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2013:342:FIN

EUR-Lex: SWD(2013)343: A blueprint for the EU forest-based industries https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2013:343:FIN

European Commission: Press Release, 20/09/2013: Commission presents new EU forest strategy based on new, broader, approach to forest resources http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-850_en.htm

European Commission: Memo, 20/09/2013: Forest resources in the EU http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-806_en.htm

European Commission: Memo, 20/09/2013: EU forest-based industries: a blueprint to unleash their economic and societal potential http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-803_en.htm

European Commission: DG Agriculture and Rural Development: Forestry explained https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/forest/

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 19/05/2014: New EU Forest strategy: conclusions adopted by the Council http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/agricult/142685.pdf

European Parliament: Press Release, 28/04/2015: New EU forest strategy: better management can boost rural jobs, say MEPs http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20150424IPR45802/

European Parliament: Legislative Observatory: Procedure File for Parliament Resolution on New EU forest strategy: for forests and the forest-based sector https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=2014/2223(INI)

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News

EurActiv, 23/09/2013: Brussels chops through EU forest rules https://www.euractiv.com/section/sustainable-dev/news/brussels-chops-through-eu-forest-rules/

European Voice, 19/05/2014: Agriculture ministers cautious about EU forest strategy https://www.politico.eu/article/agfish-outcome-ck/

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