MEPs adopt Forest Strategy that contradicts Biodiversity goals

Brussels, 8 October 2020 – The European Parliament failed to adopt a true EU Forest Strategy by voting against the ambitious draft alternative resolution by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), thus preferring to keep the initial report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI).

ENVI's alternative draft resolution was presented by the Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) as they considered the language of the AGRI report to be weak and incapable of protecting forests, presenting aspects that contradict the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy advanced by the Commission European in May.

“The AGRI report, in addition to not being in line with the Biodiversity Strategy, and, in part, actively harming it, ironically also contradicts the position recently adopted by the Parliament itself in the report on EU action to protect and restore forests worldwide,” says Greens/EFA MEP Francisco Guerreiro.

With the approval of the AGRI report, the Parliament's final position is that forests managed for commercial purposes are the only forests of value, and those that best protect climate and forest health. Furthermore, it further encourages the use of forest biomass for energy production in the EU, portraying it as positive for combating climate change.

“Among other things, the AGRI Commission report does little to safeguard forests and is excessively focused on the so-called Sustainable Forest Management (SFM), a non-binding concept developed by foresters and which does not protect biodiversity,” says Francisco Guerreiro.

The ENVI resolution required, among others, that the protection of climate and biodiversity be central objectives linked to the new forestry strategy. It also recognized the full range of ecological functions that forests represent and called for their protection, as well as for afforestation and reforestation with tree species suited to the location and the environment.

However, the alternative proposal did not meet consensus and was rejected by 429 votes. The AGRI report was thus approved with 462 votes in favour, 176 against and 59 abstentions and had the vote against by the Greens/EFA parliamentary group.

At least 43% of the EU's surface is covered with forests and other wooded land. The sector employs around 500 thousand people directly and 2.6 million indirectly. About 1/3 of EU forests are privately owned.

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