No C 227/10 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 10. 9. 79 
Opinion  on the: 
— communication  from  the Commission  to the  Council  concerning  forestry  policy  in the 
Community 
— proposal  for  a Council  resolution  concerning  the  objectives  and  principles  of forestry 
policy 
— proposal  for a Council  Decision  setting  up a Forestry  Committee 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 301  of 15 December  1978,  page  8. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 18 December  1978  the  Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  in accordance  with  the  Treaty  establishing  the European  Economic 
Community. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the above  matter  at its 168th 
plenary  session  held  in Brussels  on 22 and  23 May  1979. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the  Treaty  establishing  the  European 
Economic  Community, 
Having  regard  to the  request  made  by the  Council  on 
18 December  1978  for an opinion, 
Having  regard  to the  decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
18 December  1978  instructing  the  Section  for 
Agriculture  to do the relevant  preparatory  work, 
Having  regard  to its previous  work  on this  matter  and  in 
particular  its opinion  of 12 July  1978  on the  future  of 
forestry  in the Community  (*) and  its opinion  of 13 July 
1978  on  the  proposal  for  a Council  Regulation  on 
common  forestry  measures  in certain  dry  Mediterranean 
areas  of the Community  (2), 
Having  regard  to the  opinion  issued  by the Section  for 
Agriculture  at its meeting  held  on 21 March  1979, 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  submitted  by the 
- rapporteur,  Mr Lane, 
Having  regard  to the  discussions  at its 168th  plenary 
session  held  on 22 and  23 May  1979  (meeting  of 22 May 
1979), 
(1) OJ  No C 114,  7. 5. 1979,  p. 2. 
(2) OJ No C 114,  7. 5. 1979,  p. 27. HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously: 
The Committee  approves  the  Commission's  proposals, 
subject  to the following  observations. 
I. PRELIMINARY  REMARKS 
The Committee  is pleased  to note  that  to a very  large 
extent  the  Commission  has  followed  up the  request  it 
made  in its opinion  of 12 July  1978  on the  future  of 
forestry  in the Community. 
In general  it regards  the  document  presented  by the 
Commission  as a valuable  analysis  of most  of the 
problems  facing  forestry  in the Community.  It hopes  the 
Commission  will  quickly  follow  up  the  present 
communication  with  a more  constructive  draft 
Regulation,  in particular  as regards  the implementation 
of an effective  common  forestry  policy. 
II. GENERAL  COMMENTS  ON  THE  COMMUNICATION 
FROM  THE  COMMISSION  TO  THE  COUNCIL  ON 
FORESTRY  POLICY  IN THE  COMMUNITY  AND  ON 
THE  PROPOSAL  FOR  A RESOLUTION  CONCERNING 
THE  OBJECTIVES  AND  PRINCIPLES  OF  FORESTRY 
POLICY 
1. For  far  too  long  the  Community  has  lacked  a 
cohesive  policy  on forests,  which  cover  21 % of the land 
area of  the  Community  and  have  a substantial 
contribution  to make  in the  fields  of employment, 
regional  policy,  land  use  and  environmental  protection. 
10. 9. 79 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 227/11 
The Community  is becoming  more  and  more  dependent 
on imports  of timber,  supplies  of which  are  becoming 
increasingly  scarce,  and  less  dependable  in some  cases. 
The Community  will  have  to go on importing  some  types 
of wood,  such  as tropical  woods,  which  are  used  for 
specific  purposes,  but  the  overall  imbalance  of trade 
cannot  continue  indefinitely. 
2. The  objectives  and  principles  of forestry  policy 
must  indicate  a commitment  to develop  to the  full  the 
employment  potential  not  only  in the forests  themselves 
which  are  often  situated  in under-developed  areas,  but 
also in downstream  industries.  A special  effort  should  be 
made  to encourage  the employment  of young  persons,  in 
particular  by promoting  the development  of cooperative 
farms,  which  correspond  particularly  well  with  the needs 
of the young.  There  would  have  to be a range  of policies, 
in the short  and  medium  term,  according  to the state  of 
development  of the forests  and  social  factors  which  exist 
currently  in the different  regions  of the Community  and 
also to cater  sufficiently  for  the  needs  of State  and 
municipally  owned  forests  on the  one  hand  and  the 
interests  of privately  owned  forests  on the other. 
3. A  proposed  forestry  policy  must  also  include  a 
section  on commercial  policy.  If private  individuals  are 
to continue  to enter  the business  of forestry  which  is by 
nature  very  long  term  they  must  be sure  of an adequate 
return.  The  Community  should  define  the policy  to be 
followed  with  regard  to imports  from  non-member 
States  which  do not  comply  with  the  normal  pricing 
conditions  and  conditions  of competition  and  thereby 
jeopardize  the  Community's  efforts  to  make 
improvements  in the  forestry  sector.  This  problem 
applies  in particular  to certain  imports  of pulp  and 
board. 
4. Moreover,  it is important  that  fiscal  policy  be 
harmonized  and  made  more  attractive  so as to encourage 
individuals  to enter  the forestry  business. 
5. The  Committee  thinks  that  special  attention  should 
be paid  to the problems  of the wood-processing  industry. 
This  sector  faces  immediate  problems  (for  instance,  the 
recent  depreciation  of the  dollar,  changes  in consumer 
taste,  etc.),  while  the problems  of forestry  policy  are,  par 
excellence,  of a long-term  nature. 
The Committee  therefore  urges  the Commission  to give 
more  thought  to these  differing  situations  and  propose 
appropriate  solutions  for the wood-processing  industry. 
6. Forestry  policy  should  also  take  into  account  the 
various  situations  in the  Community.  Firstly,  it is necessary  in the short  and  medium  term  to make  better 
use of the  provisions  which  relate  to existing  forests, 
whether  publicly  or  privately  owned,  in order  to 
maximize  their  continual  development  and  utilization. 
Secondly,  for the long  term,  it is necessary  to harmonize 
provisions  under  which  clear  felled  forests  will  be 
reafforested  and  land  which  cannot  be  used  for 
agriculture  in the foreseeable  future  can be acquired  and 
afforested. 
7. It  is essential  that  the interests  of the various  sectors 
- forest  owners,  farmers,  workers,  the primary  users  of 
forest  products  and  consumers  - be reflected  in any  such 
policy  and  also  that  the  policy  should  have  regard  to 
ecological  and  scenic  interests,  particularly  those  of 
urban  dwellers  for  whom  forests  are  an important 
recreational  facility. 
8. Finally,  the Committee  would  in general  stress  that 
greater  encouragement  must  be given  to the  sharing  of 
resources  and  potential  developments  under  study  in the 
Member  States.  There  should  also  be  greater 
coordination  of national  forestry  research,  and  other 
joint  research  projects  should  be encouraged. 
III. SPECIFIC  COMMENTS  ON THE  COMMUNICATION 
FROM  THE  COMMISSION  TO  THE  COUNCIL 
CONCERNING  FORESTRY  POLICY  IN  THE 
COMMUNITY 
Paragraph  1.7 
The question  of whether  it is possible  for  foresters  to 
market  smallwood  intended  for  the  pulp  and  board 
industry  and  for  the  latter  to guarantee  its suppliers  a 
minimum  price  should  also  be examined. 
Paragraph  2.2 
To cover  all the situations  found  in the Member  States  of 
the EEC,  two  of the  comments  on privately  owned 
woodland  should  be changed  slightly  to take  account  of 
the growing  importance  of forests  owned  by  town 
dwellers. 
Paragraph  2.4 
The advantages  of cooperation  for  the  forestry  sector 
should  also  be taken  into  account. 
No C 227/12 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 10. 9. 79 
Paragraph  3.6 
The Committee  does  not think  that  research  into  the use 
of wood  as a chemical  raw  material  need  only  produce 
results  in the long  term:  the fact  that  in the Community 
the price  of domestic  fuel  oil, with  the same  number  of 
calories,  is almost  identical  to the  price  of wood 
(delivered  to boiler  or factory)  should  be taken  into 
consideration. 
In fact,  the  difference  in price  between  petroleum 
products  and  wood  has been  reduced  appreciably,  which 
could  mean  that  the  feasibility  of using  wood  as a 
chemical  raw  material  is not relegated  to the long  term. 
Paragraph  3.9 
Regarding  the four  million  hectares  referred  to, we must 
not forget  the technique  of straddling  which  makes  it 
possible,  by additional  planting,  to convert  existing 
coppice  on relatively  fertile  soil  into  high  forest  more 
rapidly  than  clear  felling  followed  by reafforestation. 
The Committee  believes  that,  where  restrictions  are 
imposed  on  a property  in order  to protect  the 
environment,  fair  compensation  should  be given. 
Paragraph  7.2 
The Italian  version  does  not  correspond  to the  other 
languages. 
Paragraph  7.10 
Without  giving  an opinion  on the  desirability  of the 
various  kind  of aid referred  to, the  Committee  would 
point  out  that  the  aid  for  thinning  mentioned  by the 
Commission  would  certainly  be  useful  in  the 
Community,  where  a large  number  of forests  planted 
after  the second  world  war  now  need  to be thinned. 
Paragraph  7.14 
The Committee  stresses  the need  to promote  research 
into varieties  suitable  for the low-rainfall  areas  of the 
Community  in order  to improve  soil  conservation. Paragraph  7.17  . 
As far  as education  and  training  are  concerned, 
owner-foresters  have  been  forgotten.  This  is regrettable 
in view  of the  role  they  could  play  in disseminating 
information. 
IV. SPECIFIC  COMMENTS  ON  THE  PROPOSAL  FOR  A 
COUNCIL  RESOLUTION  CONCERNING  THE 
OBJECTIVES  AND  PRINCIPLES  OF  FORESTRY 
POLICY 
1. General  principles  and  the objectives  and  principles 
of forestry  policy 
1.1. The  Committee  feels  that  'access  to forests' 
should  be replaced  by 'access  to certain  forests'. 
1.2. The  Committee  would  like  a new  indent  added  to 
the list of objectives  in paragraph  2, to read  as follows: 
'— research  into  varieties  suitable  for the low-rainfall 
Mediterranean  areas  and  the  development  of 
afforestation  in these  areas.' 
V. COMMENTS  ON  THE  PROPOSAL  FOR  A COUNCIL 
DECISION  TO  SET  UP A FORESTRY  COMMITTEE 
1. The  Economic  and  Social  Committee  welcomes  the 
initiative  of  the  Commission  in  proposing  the 
establishment  of a permanent  Forestry  Cofnmittee. 
However,  it is considered  that  the  powers  of the 
proposed  Forestry  Committee  should  be widened  so as to 
enable  that  Committee  to propose  to the  Commission 
specific  measures  in furtherance  of the  common 
objectives  and principles  of forestry  policy  to be adopted. 
2. The  composition  of this  Committee  should  take 
account  of the important  implications  of forestry  policy 
for regional  policy,  agricultural  policy,  social  policy, 
employment,  land  use  and  the  development  of 
timber-based  industries. 
3. The  Committee  also  recommends  that  a forestry 
Advisory  Committee  should  be set up. 
Done  at Brussels,  22 May  1979. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Fabrizia  BADUEL  GLORIOSO