For forest owners and managers all across Europe, it was a vote that was expected on a firm footing. MEPs have listened to those who work in forests and proposed a balanced text that recognises multifunctional forestry and the positive impacts of the sustainable forest management practices implemented in our forests. The report also calls for risk management measures to address the very serious issue of climate change impacts on forests and recognises the crucial role played by forest owners as well as the need to support them in the new EU Forest Strategy. Read more on the press release of CEPF, Copa-Cogeca and EUSTAFOR here.
Ahead of the plenary vote, CEPF and 16 organisations from the forest-based sector published a joint statement “The New EU Forest Strategy: 3 reasons to endorse the committee report” calling MEPs to endorse and confirm the AGRI Committee report. The statement highlighted that the report provides the upcoming EU Forest Strategy with all the essential ingredients to allow forests and the forest-based sector to play their central roles in achieving the objectives of the European Green Deal, including climate neutrality by 2050 and biodiversity preservation.
Before being voted in the plenary session, the report was voted in the AGRI Committee on 7 September 2020. CEPF expressed its support on the report and the direction it sets for the new EU Forest Strategy, including the need to promote sustainable forest management. Read more on the CEPF press release here.
The next step forward is for the European Commission to publish the roadmap and public consultation in the coming weeks and to present a new strategy in the first quarter of 2021. Forest owners and managers expect the Commission to take the European Parliament’s report fully into account in their current work on the strategy and that the publication will take place without further delay.
