EN Official Journal of the European Union C 126/3

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions — A new EU forest strategy: for forests and the forest-based sector

2014/C 126/02

I. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

A positive step in recognition of the multifunctional nature of forests in Europe and towards their sustainable use and protection

1. welcomes the European Commission's communication on a new forestry strategy which addresses in a comprehensive and balanced way all aspects of sustainable management of the forestry and forest-based sector. Although forestry policy is the responsibility of the Member States, the strategy could serve to provide guidelines for sustainable forest management, forest protection, improving biodiversity and seeing forests as a resource in efforts to combat climate change and the contribution made by forests to mitigating the effects of climate change, not to mention the viability of the forest-based sector in general. It is to be welcomed that the economic and social dimension of forests is being considered, and that their importance as a source of local jobs is recognised, including through a forestry-wood sector which is able to create a specific value chain and the development of forest know-how;

2. is pleased to note that the Commission recognises the multifunctional role of forests although we believe that more in-depth consideration should be given to the concept of multifunctionality in order to differentiate between European forests — and their management — according to the function to be promoted in each case. It is also pleased that the Commission refers to the principle of sustainable consumption;

3. considers the timing to be ideal for a new strategy, as forests are coming under increasing pressure: climate change, together with the lack of forest management over recent years resulting from their low profitability, is altering their nature and species composition, greater use is likely to be made of forest biomass (1) as a result of policies to meet renewable energy targets, and the economic recession is altering anthropogenic pressure. The development of measurable and demonstrable sustainable management criteria, as well as promoting improvement measures in areas with low levels of resources and investments in infrastructure, could make a significant contribution to better protecting forests and to more sustainable use of Europe's forests in the long term. This is particularly important given that climate volatility is introducing new pressures and making environmental and economic forecasting less accurate;

4. believes that Native/natural woodlands are important habitats and must be managed in compliance with forest and regional law. Member States and regions should therefore be able to decide not to authorise the planting of genetically modified tree and plant species;

5. insists that the EU should respect the fact that forestry policy is a national competence. It is important that the updated forestry strategy take into account the different conditions prevailing in the EU's Member States and respect and complement their national forestry policies;

6. calls on the Commission to clarify which of the strategy's objectives stem from the Member States' commitments relating to forests, distinguishing between international and European obligations, so as to simplify follow-up of those objectives. The Committee of the Regions also believes that all levels should emphasise the role of existing expert bodies and should avoid establishing new ones;

Human pressure on forests affects the general population, whose awareness needs to be raised

7. points out that forests are influenced by economic conditions, not only directly but also over the long term, as there is often a considerable time lapse before effects make themselves felt. Phenomena such as arson, land-use change, illegal logging and poaching are becoming increasingly common. As a result, it is necessary to step up surveillance and carry out checks and cost-benefit studies on planned land use, and to make provision for possible long-term consequences. As there are wide variations in the use and ecological function of forests within the EU, regional circumstances must be taken into consideration here;

8. is concerned about the rate of urban sprawl, which poses a threat to the natural environment and to peri-urban forests in particular, and calls for appropriate scientific tools to be developed to ensure that urban growth is planned with due care;

9. points out that the UN and the EU, in its biodiversity strategy, have said that the goal of significantly reducing biodiversity loss globally between 2002 and 2010 has not been achieved. The poorest populations will be hit first and hardest by this likely loss of biodiversity. An informed public could, however, help to reverse this trend. The link between ecosystem health and sustainable development must be made clear, primarily by mobilising and informing ordinary people and the social partners. Scientific data should be made more accessible to the public through large-scale information campaigns, and by educating people to respect the environment. The European Union and Member States should put greater emphasis on forest-based activities in their own development policies and stress the creation of forest legislation and forest administration as well as the principles of sustainable forest use in development programmes conducted with third countries and development financing. This would support the EU's general development policy objectives, and Member States' forest administration authorities, universities and forest-sector organisations would have considerable expertise in the implementation of these objectives;

10. notes that the forest-based economy already makes a significant contribution to prosperity, providing some 3,5 million jobs in the secondary sector alone. Notes also that there are regions in which the potential for sustainable growth and job creation in this sector has not yet been fully realised. By practising sustainable forest management and applying skills acquisition policies, for example through lifelong learning, as well as supporting research and development of new technologies, jobs can be created not only in traditional occupations but also in new activities that are generated;

11. agrees with the idea of encouraging changes in consumption patterns and behaviour particularly by promoting the consumption of products of wood from sustainable forests. The use of wood and the replacement of products made from materials whose processing requires high CO2 emissions represent significant progress in improving the environment and achieving a low-carbon economy. As regards the shift to renewable sources of energy, of which forest biomass is a key source, responsible consumption must be encouraged so that energy production is as environmentally, economically and socially sustainable as possible;

12. regrets that the European Commission does not give due regard to the use of forests for recreation purposes in its strategy, and that it fails to address the need for balanced consideration of aspects related to recreation, economic use and environmental protection in the use of forest resources, putting into practice the principles of sustainable development based on competitiveness, environmental protection and social factors;

The role of local communities in forest and biodiversity conservation

13. regrets the fact that the European Commission does not refer to the role of local and regional authorities in implementing the strategy. Their participation would ensure a balance between the ever-increasing economic exploitation of forests and sustainable development. Local and regional authorities should therefore be more actively involved in planning; the Committee suggests that they be represented in official policy-planning bodies such as the Standing Forestry Committee and the Advisory Group on Forestry and Cork;

14. points out that municipally-owned forests, covering 20 million hectares, represent the third-largest type of forestry ownership in Europe. Local and regional authorities are both owners and managers in charge of implementation and surveillance of numerous forestry-related policies;

15. points out that local communities are in direct contact with forests and are the first to be influenced by policies in this area. They are the ones who shoulder responsibility and bear the direct costs of forest protection, as well as benefiting from the presence and proper upkeep of forests; however, they are also the first to feel the effects of forest degradation. Again, it is frequently local authorities who are responsible for collecting data and are in a position to directly assess the impact of policies. It is therefore clear that keeping local communities correctly informed is a matter of priority and that they must be given the wherewithal to meet their obligations. It is important to ensure decentralised and ongoing communication with local stakeholders with a view to shaping a conception of forestry which will secure local acceptance and implementation of multilateral forest development policies;

16. calls on the Member States to pay due regard to the role of local and regional authorities in developing forest resources for recreation purposes, and to avoid burdening them with additional, superfluous red tape in their efforts to manage forest land for recreation purposes to the greatest possible satisfaction of local residents and visitors;

17. observes that forest boundaries do not follow national borders, and nor do the benefits or problems associated with forests; therefore advocates stepping up large-scale cooperation, particularly in cross-border areas;

18. notes that European forests vary in their characteristics, as well as in the specificities of the territories where they are located and in the risks to which they are exposed, and advocates that policies be tailored to local conditions to make for maximum effectiveness. The CoR recommends introducing special support measures and practical help in devising local and regional forestry plans for local and regional authorities in territories with particular features, such as sparsely inhabited areas, outermost regions, island regions, regions in the far north with unique ecosystems, and Mediterranean forests, which are coming under greater pressure as a result of climate change;

Economic exploitation of forests under sustainable conditions

19. considers that the protection of forests and the forestry sector, and their proper management, contributes to the conservation of a very significant proportion of the Natura 2000 network and hence of European biodiversity;

20. notes that the public sector and local and regional authorities — as owners of a significant proportion of European forests and service providers — must ensure the multifunctionality and sustainability of those forests, quite apart from the fact that the proper sustainable management of forests' resources makes them one of the fundamental factors in those regions' economic development. They must therefore contribute to forest conservation and management as long as they are granted the necessary means to do so;

21. agrees on the need to acknowledge that the EU does not depend exclusively on its own production and that its consumption has an impact on forests worldwide. As well as ensuring the sustainable forest management of all of the EU's forests, the objectives should include both increasing the wooded area and increasing the productivity of European forests, at least in the case of forests whose main function, in the context of multifunctionality, is production;

22. considers, moreover, that the high percentage of privately-owned forests in Europe creates conditions which need to be monitored but also appropriately used. Improving the monitoring and the coordination of the activities of private forest owners as well as their training and support is an important aspect of the forest strategy. Member States should in particular provide incentives for the correct management of private forests, since failure to protect forests and the non-sustainable use of forest resources both pose a threat. Similarly, Member States should require private forest owners to ensure the long-term conservation of such forests by putting a project in place to manage their property and, in particular, to ensure regeneration processes. Forest owners and their organisations should be guaranteed the opportunity to participate in decision-making in the forest-based sector and in relevant decision-making at European, national and local level;

23. recalls the situation of territories in which the process of forest regeneration is difficult due to the conditions of climate and soil. Especial attention should be provided to regions where there is a difficult topography and, thus, a greater difficulty to introduce mechanisation, as well as a climate most favourable to invasive species than to planted forestry species by providing measures to support private investment in the reconversion, conservation and development of the forest sector;

24. also considers that forest management should be strengthened in public forests where activities are not economically viable, either because of the quality of the products they offer or because of a lack of infrastructure, and investments must therefore be made in these forests in order to improve them and/or access to their resources;

25. considers that adopting the cascade principle for wood could be too restrictive, as not all regions have the infrastructure or companies providing the full range of options for processing and using wood. It would therefore be more realistic to promote the principle of efficient use of resources, as part of a comprehensive approach and under the guidance of local and regional authorities, with the aim of ensuring sustainable management of Europe's forests;

26. welcomes the role that the Commission's Communication gives to the competitiveness and sustainability of forest-based industries as drivers for the sustainable management of European forests and considers that as well as working towards the goal of sustainable management, forest-based industries can by practising corporate social responsibility help to provide the general public with information on environmental questions related to forest products;

27. welcomes and acknowledges the achievements of voluntary certification schemes and recommends that this be broadly underpinned by other measures, including financial instruments. Certification could serve as an instrument to help stem the flow of illegal timber and timber products;

28. points out that the measures to be adopted could result in a loss of competitiveness for local SMEs by increasing their production costs; therefore proposes that action be taken to support SMEs, for instance encouraging more consumption of forestry products produced locally and, as far as possible, avoiding policies that increase red tape and administrative costs. Special care should be taken when concluding bilateral agreements with third countries to take into account any possible repercussions for the economic and social wellbeing of forested regions in those countries;

29. believes that forest management plans must be promoted for European forests with a view to achieving the sustainable use of their resources, prioritising the least productive forests which have the greatest impact on climate change and have the greatest values in terms of conservation (Mediterranean forests, forests in the Natura 2000 network etc.);

Correct and coordinated implementation of the forest strategy will ensure its success

30. points out that the proposed strategy lacks measurable objectives and indicators, mechanisms for overseeing its implementation, and an action plan for its implementation, even though numerous policies and procedures at European and international level are mentioned. Lack of EU competence should not stand in the way of following up the strategy's implementation, given that forests have an impact on the whole continent of Europe and beyond;

31. believes that the development of a region calls for an integrated approach in public policy. Despite the adoption of the 2014-2020 Common Strategic Framework, however, the Commission's communication does not have a multi-fund approach, while the targeted funding available under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development may not be sufficient to deal with the challenges facing forests. The Committee recommends that Member States also be allowed to adopt multi-fund (EAFRD, ERDF, ESF, Cohesion Fund) operational programmes for integrated territorial investments and not just community-led local development. and calls on all those involved to make use of the Horizon 2020 programme, which establishes the conditions for developing forest technology through research and innovation;

32. recommends that the EC support scientific research and initiatives aimed at developing modern timber harvesting and production technologies which have a smaller environmental impact than traditional methods (including the planting of trees for energy use), as well as those which reduce management costs while promoting sustainable development;

33. notes that the EU Resource-efficient Europe flagship initiative provides a framework for ensuring that long-term EU strategies in sectors such as energy, climate change and environment policy have a positive impact in terms of efficient use of resources. Moreover, the proposed strategy for forests and the forest-based sector could provide continuity between different policies and contribute to balanced economic, social and regional growth, which is one of the fundamental aims of the EU;

34. urges the Member States and the Commission to make every effort to put the strategy's proposals into practice by drawing up a long-term action plan to implement the strategy, introducing management plans and action programmes, and improving communications and coordination between each other as well as with stakeholders.

Brussels, 30 January 2014 The President of the Committee of the Regions Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO

(1) By 2020, 20% of energy consumed in the EU must come from renewable sources. If this is achieved, the amount of wood used for energy purposes in the EU would be equivalent to the total volume of wood produced today.