WRITTEN QUESTION E-1511/02

by Mikko Pesälä (ELDR) and Samuli Pohjamo (ELDR) to the Commission

(29 May 2002)

Subject: Organising a follow-up to the EU's forestry strategy

In December 1998, the Council adopted a common forestry strategy for the EU. Before the Council adopted its resolution on this subject, the Commission had published a communication concerning it and the European Parliament had adopted a resolution of its own in 1997. The EU institutions have since considered the Commission communication on the forest-based industry.

Although the above-mentioned documents do not create a common EU forestry policy, it is extremely important to forestry that the EU should adopt an active approach to forests, and not only from the point of view of environmental protection. There are major challenges, inter alia with regard to promoting the use of timber and thus creating an ecologically benign society by replacing other materials with wood, which is renewable. There

are also challenges in connection with the enlargement of the EU, which must proceed in a controlled manner without causing damaging changes in prices, inter alia for the products of sawmills. Renewable energy production and the significance of forests for climate change also, at the least, require further study. In addition, the significance of forestry as a source of employment in rural areas deserves special consideration.

Could the Commission establish some kind of system for following up the forestry strategy, for example the drafting of brief, concise reports every four years or periodic broadly-based conferences at which the views of experts could be heard? This would provide better information within the EU concerning current challenges and priorities for action. Such a follow-up would clarify the EU's forestry strategy. A further step might be to draw up action programmes for a few years at a time on the basis of the results of the follow-up, by means of which the coordination of action and the commitment of the various parties concerned thereto could be improved.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(3 July 2002)

The Forestry Strategy, as agreed in Council Resolution of 15 December 1998(1), builds on sustainable management and the multi-functional role of forests, the principle of subsidiarity and commitments adopted at international processes related to forests.

The Strategy emphasises the need for effective co-ordination between different sectorial policies which have an influence on forests and forestry, and co-ordination at Community level.

In its Resolution, the Council invites the Commission to report to the Council on the implementation of this Forestry Strategy within five years.

The Commission endorsed on 12 December 2001 an inter-service agreement through which it committed itself to prepare a report on the implementation of this Strategy up to the year 2003.

At the same time an Inter-services Group on the forestry sector was set-up, with the aim to improve the co-ordination and the exchange of information between the relevant Commission services on activities related to the forestry sector. This Inter-services Group will meet in the second half of 2002 in order to discuss the preparation of this implementation report. Within this process, progress on follow-up to the communication forest-based and related industries(2) will also be taken into account.

The Honourable Member's suggestion for following up the Forestry Strategy will be taken into consideration in these discussions.

(1) OJ C 56, 26.2.1999.

(2) COM(1999) 457 final.