Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the 'Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on a forestry strategy for the European Union'
Date: 1999-11-18
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: forestry holding, forestry policy

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12.7.
The Committee of the Regions believes that good
examples must be assessed before they are disseminated. For
instance, external factors which might affect the impact of
various measures must be carefully identified. The Committee
of the Regions calls on the Commission to endeavour to
include both practicians and researchers in a Europe-wide
network.

12.8.
The Committee of the Regions believes that funding
must be more readily available to encourage exchanges
between Member State regional and local authorities. Similarly,
the funding arrangements for an information centre and a
European network must be finalised. The Committee of the
Regions calls on the Council and the European Parliament to
ensure the budget provides for this.

Brussels, 18 November 1999.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Manfred DAMMEYER

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Communication from the Commission to the
Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the
Regions on a forestry strategy for the European Union’

(2000/C 57/16)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on a forestry strategy for the
European Union (COM(1998) 649 final);

having regard to the Council resolution of 15 December 1998 on a European forestry strategy (1);

having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural
development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) (2);

having regard to Regulation (EC) No. 1261/1999 of the European Parliament and Council of 21 June
1999 on the European Regional Development Fund (3);

having regard to Regulation (EC) No. 1262/99 of the European Parliament and Council of 21 June 1999
on the European Social Fund (4);

having regard to the Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament on climate
change ‘The European Union approach for Kyoto’ (COM(1998) 353 final);

having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 31 January 1997 on the European Union’s
forestry strategy (5);

(1) OJ C 56, 26.2.1999, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80.
(3) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 43.
(4) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 48.
(5) OJ C 55, 24.2.1997, p. 22.

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having regard to the recommendations of the Committee Opinion on the management, use and
protection of forests in the EU (CdR 268/97 fin) (1);

having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee of 24 April 1997 on the situation
and problems of forestry in the European Union and potential for developing forestry policies (2);

having regard to the decision by the Commission on 23 November 1998, acting under the first paragraph
of Article 198c of the Treaty establishing the European Community to consult the Committee of the
Regions on the matter;

having regard to the decision taken by its bureau on 7 May 1999 to instruct Commission 2 for
Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries to prepare an opinion on the subject;

having regard to the draft opinion (CdR 184/99 rev. 2) adopted by Commission 2 on 30 September
1999 (rapporteurs: Mr Perkkiö FIN, ELDR and Mr Bertrand F, EPP);

unanimously adopted the following opinion at its 31 plenary session on 17 and 18 November 1999
(session of 18 November).

1. Background

2.

Introduction

1.1.
On 18 November 1998 the Commission issued a
Communication to the Council, Parliament, the Economic and
Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the
European Union’s forestry strategy.

1.2.
The Commission states that the communication has
two main tasks. It presents a coherent outline for a forestry
strategy for the European Union and it is also the Commission’s
response to the European Parliament’s resolution of 31 January
1997 on the EU’s forestry strategy. This calls on the Commis-
sion to put forward ‘a legislative proposal on European forestry
strategy’ in accordance with a number of considerations and
recommendations within two years of the above date.

In connection with the debate in Parliament,

1.3.
the
Economic and Social Committee adopted an opinion on ‘The
situation and problems of forestry in the European Union and
potential for developing forestry policies’ on 24 April 1997.

On 19 November 1997 the Committee of the Regions
1.4.
adopted an own-initiative opinion on ‘Management, use and
protection of forests in the EU’, the aim of which was to
demonstrate the importance of forests for regional develop-
ment and prosperity.
In addition, many opinions of the
Committee of the Regions refer to forestry and the sustainable
development of forests.

1.5.
On 15 December 1998 the EU Council of Ministers
adopted a resolution on the European Union’s forestry strategy
which is essentially based on the Commission’s report and
guidelines.

2.1. Within the EU there are about 130 million hectares of
forest, in other words 36 % of its surface area. Some 87 million
hectares of these are considered to be exploitable forests.
European forests are characterised by diverse bioclimates and
soils. The ownership conditions for forests differ from region
to region. 65 % of forests are privately owned. The average
surface area of forest estates is less than 5 hectares. In Greece
and Ireland the state owns two thirds of forestland, whereas in
Belgium, Spain, Italy, Germany and France local communities
are significant forest owners. There are also considerable
differences between regions in terms of the use made of forests
and the benefits obtained from them.

2.2.
The Commission communication states that the forest
strategy should be considered within the context of internatio-
nally agreed principles and commitments. At the same time
the forestry strategy is based on the recognition of the diversity
of Europe’s forests, their multifunctional role and the need for
ecological, economic and social sustainability.

2.3.
The Commission communication explains the current
situation regarding forestry in the Community, outlines exis-
ting Community forestry measures, and more generally exp-
lains how forestry matters are being handled in the EU.
Forestry issues of special concern are the conservation of the
biological diversity of forests, the use of wood as an energy
source, the role of forests in slowing down climate change and
forestry certification.

2.4.

The main starting points for the communication are:

(1) OJ C 64, 27.2.1998, p. 25.
(2) OJ C 206 of 7.7.1997, p. 128.

— the Community’s existing forestry measures

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— the Commission proposal for forestry measures within the
context of the Agenda 2000 rural development regulation,
and

— the Commission proposal for Community support for
agricultural and rural development in the countries of
Central and Eastern Europe which have applied for EU
membership.

3.1.2.
In practice the principles of sustainable management
and use of forests are defined and implemented through
national or regional forestry programmes or other instruments
at Member State level. The aim of the EU’s forestry strategy is
to complement national forestry programmes and to ensure
that the benefits from Community measures are maximised.
Community measures can then support national
forestry
leaving commitments made in
policies by,
international agreements to be implemented by Member States.

for example,

2.5.
The European Union’s founding treaties do not make
legal provision for a common forestry policy. The main
objective of the strategy, namely the promotion of sustainable
development and management of forests, should therefore be
defined and implemented through national or regional forestry
programmes or through other similar instruments at Member
State level, as well as through action at the European Commu-
nity level when, in accordance with the subsidiarity principle,
this can contribute added value.

2.6. Within the EU the management, conservation and
sustainable development of
forests are vital concerns of
existing policies like the CAP, rural development, environment,
trade, internal market, research, industry, development coope-
ration and energy policies.

In accordance with the subsidiarity principle,

2.7.
the
forestry strategy considers Community action beneficial,
among other things, to rural development measures, the
protection of forests from air pollution and forest fires, the
development of
forestry information and communication
systems, research and development work, as well as develop-
ment cooperation.

Local and regional authorities have a twofold role in

2.8.
the debate on European forestry strategy:

— firstly, as the authorities responsible for organising life in

local communities, especially in rural areas;

— secondly, as the managers of forestry estates, making them
an integral element in the economics of the forestry sector.

3.1.3.
issues
Even without a common forestry policy,
relating to the management and use of forests are vital concerns
of existing policies such as regional and environmental policy.
As forestry is highly important to the development of rural
areas, forestry measures are often incorporated into rural
development policy at Community level. The fragmentation of
forestry matters at the EU level between different policies and
directorates-general depending on the subject matter means
that forestry measures and values are not necessarily viewed in
an integrated manner in any context at the Community level.

3.1.4.
The forestry strategy states that international forestry
commitments stress the benefits of effective coordination
between different regions in terms of their forestry policy.
Forestry measures should be coordinated and communication
and cooperation between different players should be stepped
up.

3.1.5.
At the Community level there is a Standing Forestry
Committee which is comprised of representatives from Mem-
ber States and the Commission. There are also two consultative
committees. There are very limited resources within the
Commission for the coordination of forestry issues, nor does
the strategy propose any concrete measures for improving the
situation. The Committee of the Regions is of the view that the
implementation of the proposed forestry strategy requires
greater input by the Commission in the forestry sector.
Coordination within the Commission between the relevant
and competent units should be organised as effectively as
possible.

3. General considerations concerning the EU’s forestry

strategy

3.2. Sustainable forestry

3.1. Forestry policy is the responsibility of Member States.

3.1.1.
European forestry policy falls primarily to Member
States as the Treaties on European Union make no provision
for a common forestry policy. There is a particular desire to
retain forestry and commercial activity relating to forests as
part of the market economy.

3.2.1.
The communication states that the forestry strategy
is based on the recognition of the diversity, multifunctional
use, as well the ecological, economic and social sustainability
In view of the regional differences within the
of forests.
Community in terms of
the structure, types of use and
ownership of forests, this is the correct starting point.

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3.2.2.
The EU has also made some commitments to ecologi-
cally, economically and socially sustainable forestry in several
international forums. The principles of sustainable develop-
ment and sustainable forestry were defined at the UN Conferen-
ce on Environment and Development at Rio de Janeiro in
1992. Although the principles adopted there were not legally
binding, they have served as the basis for the active, worldwide
international negotiations on forestry over the last few years.

3.2.3.
The international forestry debate continued from
1995 to 1997 in the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF),
the work of which will be continued until the year 2000 by
the Intergovernmental Forestry Forum (IFF). The aim is to
institute a worldwide forestry agreement. The agreement
should, as far as possible, be legally binding in order to have
impact on the conservation,
a sufficiently effective global
sustainable use, management and development of forests. In
spite of previous agreements and recommendations the pla-
net’s forest resources and surface area are continuing to
diminish.

3.2.4.
At the European ministerial conferences (Strasbourg
1990, Helsinki 1993 and Lisbon 1998) European level com-
mitments were made to respect the principles of sustainable
management and use of forest resources. In this pan-European
process the sustainable management and use of forests has
been defined as preserving the diversity, productivity, capacity
for renewal and vitality of forests, as well as allowing for
important ecological, economic and social action to be taken
both now and in the future at the local, national and global
level, and ensuring that damage is not inflicted on other
ecosystems.

3.3. The economic significance of the forestry sector

3.3.1.
The Commission’s communication states that the
European Community’s forestry resources do not appear to be
very extensive when compared with the boreal and tropical
forests of other regions. However, following the accession of
Austria, Sweden and Finland, the EU has become the world’s
second largest paper and sawnwood producer, its foremost
importer of forest products and third largest exporter of forest
products.

3.3.2.
The European Community’s forest resources are,
therefore, of considerable economic significance. The current
production value of the forestry industry amounts to close to
Euro 300 billion and it directly and indirectly employs several
million people.

Similarly,

3.3.4.
the strategy overlooks other ways of
economically exploiting forests. This applies in particular to
the use of forests for tourism and recreation which can both
be of considerable importance to regions from the point of
view of e.g. employment.

The Commission is preparing a communication on
3.3.5.
the forestry industry and improving its competitiveness. It is a
particularly topical and interesting subject. In principle the
wood resources of European forests which are now in the
process of growing will increase the capacity of the forestry
industry. At the same time, by raising the degree of wood-pro-
cessing and developing new products, considerable added
value will accrue to companies in the forestry sector. However,
the market-driven forestry industry and the globalisation of
markets are presenting both forestry industry managers and
wood producers with a new situation.

As stated earlier, the economic significance of the
3.3.6.
forestry sector at the Community level has increased with the
accession of Austria, Sweden and Finland. The link between
forestry and the forestry industry now needs to be viewed in a
more integrated manner in the EU. Maintaining the competiti-
veness of the EU’s forestry industry is fundamental for the
economy and for employment.

3.4. The Agenda 2000 reform

3.4.1.
The cornerstone of the strategy is the Commission
proposal relating to the Agenda 2000 communication on the
rural development regulation forestry measures. The rural
development regulation was adopted in spring 1999. This
comprehensively draws together rural measures so that the
social and economic development of rural areas in its entirety,
comprising employment, the environment and sustainable
development, is treated as a top priority. The forestry measures
in the regulation should be viewed as a part of this whole.

3.4.2.
The rural development regulation includes the conti-
nuation of the Community’s existing forestry measures as well
as a host of new measures for promoting the sustainable
management of
forests and for trying to tackle specific
problems, such as maintaining biological diversity, preventing
climate change, or the use of wood as an energy source.
Improving the state of the forest environment is to be one of
the criteria for EU support.

3.3.3.
The Committee of the Regions feels that the econo-
mic significance of forests is not given sufficient prominence
in the Commission communication on the forestry strategy.
The document quite rightly stresses the importance of forests in
rural development, preserving biodiversity and environmental
considerations. However, too little attention is paid to the
importance of wood production and considerations relating
to the exploitation of forestry resources.

To achieve the objectives of the regulation, technical support
must be targeted mainly at groupings of forest owners and
local authorities, covering large areas managed in a uniform
manner. When both the ecological and regional economic
significance of forests is taken into account, out of existing
measures, a particularly important one is continued afforesta-
tion in areas to be determined by the regions. The cost of

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afforestation, and the fact that the investment can only be
recouped over the long-term, supports the case for having
support programmes for this purpose.

— the distribution and impact of Community measures at the

regional level, and

— whether they achieved their objectives.

The reform will

3.4.3.
increase the number of forestry
measures requiring support. It will give greater autonomy to
national policies, which — in view of the subsidiarity principle
and the regional differences between forests — is to be
welcomed. Member States themselves can, therefore, determine
the priorities for support and financial assistance in their own
national rural plans. Although in principle, greater support
could be given to forestry, this is, however, entirely dependent
upon the evolution of national funding.

3.4.4.
The reform will increase the number of potential
beneficiaries as EU support becomes less tied to agriculture.
Forest estate owners, owners’ organisations and local authori-
ties are all potential beneficiaries. Local authorities are a
sizeable group at least in Spain, Germany, France and Portugal.

In addition to the support

3.4.5.
from the European
Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund regulated by the
rural development regulation, support from the European
Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund
can also be used for forestry. The new regulations on these
were also approved in June 1999. The Regional Development
Fund can be used to support both productive investments and
infrastructure projects of benefit to employment and economic
development in support regions. Another possible target for
support is the construction of adequate road links in remote
regions in order to make the exploitation of forest resources
viable. The Social Fund can be used, among other things, to
support increased training in the forestry sector.

3.4.6.
Some sources estimate that between 1994 and 1999
the EU has supported forestry in the Union to the tune of
some 2.5 billion euros. The support has been channelled
mainly into southern Europe, in particular Spain, Germany,
France and Ireland. The EU has used about half of the total
forestry support to fund forestry programmes on agricultural
land. The other half has been directed at improving forestry
efficiency, market development and environmental measures,
as well as repairing environmental damage.

3.4.7.
The Agenda 2000 reform will create new opportuni-
ties for using EU resources. Indeed, one shortcoming of this
forestry strategy may be that the impact of Community
measures targeted towards forestry to date has not been
comprehensively evaluated. The evaluation of support policy
requires knowing:

— the total amount of Community resources that have been

directed towards forestry measures,

3.4.8.
A common EU objective should be to use Communi-
ty resources as effectively as possible. Closer monitoring of
forestry support in the future would make it easier to evaluate
the impact of support and to develop the system of support.
The Committee of the Regions believes it is important for
forestry programme support policies to respect the functioning
of the market and to guarantee effective competition policy in
forestry product markets.

3.5. The threats facing forestry

3.5.1.
Common EU measures are needed in particular to
prevent threats to forests, the most serious of which are air
pollution and forest fires which spread widely and cross
borders. These can have a particularly detrimental impact at
the local and regional level. National measures are essential for
combating these threats, and the EU will support them through
the measures contained in the Agenda 2000 reform. This
includes the drive to cut cross-border pollution levels. The
Committee of the Regions believes that these EU support
measures are extremely important.

3.5.2.
Forests have a special role to play in slowing down
climate change. Climate change is caused by greenhouse gases,
of which carbon dioxide is the most significant. Forests
harness carbon and therefore function as carbon sinks. Carbon
harnessing can be promoted by improving forest conservation
and management, by expanding forest area, by replacing fossil
fuels with wood from sustainably managed forests, and by
replacing products which consume a great deal of energy with
wood products.

Having approved the so-called Kyoto protocol, the
3.5.3.
EU has committed itself to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The Commission has issued a communication on climate
change and the European Union’s strategy on the measures to
be taken as follow-up to the Kyoto environmental summit.

3.6. Wood as an energy source

Increasing the use of wood as an energy source will
3.6.1.
reduce the carbon dioxide emissions generated by energy
production, increase the self-sufficiency of energy production,
create the conditions for new business activity particularly
In addition, the
among SMEs, and increase employment.
harvesting of wood for combustion has a beneficial impact on
forest management and the economy.

3.6.2.
The EU’s energy policy aims to increase the use
of renewable energy sources. This also entails significantly
increasing wood-based energy production. The European
Commission can promote the development of technological
know-how in this field by, for example, supporting research
and training. Support from the Structural Funds can be used
to promote the emergence of new users and companies in the
field.

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3.7. Certification

3.8. Usable and standardised information on Europe’s forests

The setting up of an environmental labelling system
3.7.1.
is the most important topic of the current debate on forestry.
Inevitably, the issue of forest certification is also raised in the
Commission communication on forestry strategy. Certification
is defined as the verification, by an independent third party,
that the forests which have been granted the certificate are
managed in a sustainable way. Certification can be used to
inform consumers and customers whether the products they
buy have been produced from wood which comes from
sustainably managed and used forests.

3.7.2.
By international standards, European forest manage-
ment is of a particularly high calibre. In the 1990s in particular,
the principles of sustainable management and use of forests
were supposed to become an essential element of both
decision-making in the field of forestry policy and forest
planning. Forest certification can serve to demonstrate the
positive practical progress made in forestry and thereby to
promote trade in wood products.

3.7.3.
There are two alternative systems of European forest
certification available. They are the pan-European PEFC label
promoted by forest owners and the forestry industry, and the
longer-established FSC system developed by environmental
organisations. European forest owners have not generally
approved the FSC certification, because it is not in their view
suitable for small-scale family forestry in Europe. The FSC is,
however, in use in some parts of Europe and it is currently
being adapted in order to make it more compatible with
European conditions.

3.7.4.
Pan-European efforts are being made to develop the
PEFC label into a type of umbrella arrangement for future
national certification systems. This will ensure that the system
takes each country’s conditions into account. The reaction to
the development of the PEFC system has generally been
positive. Howeverit would be good to involve environmental
organisations in its development.

The Commission communication welcomes the de-
3.7.5.
velopment of
the pan-European certification system. The
strategy states that the Commission is considering complemen-
tary action, for example, legal instruments for harmonising the
basic requirements of voluntary certification and labelling
initiatives. Certification is exclusively a matter for market
partners.

forest certification will be beneficial

The Committee of the Regions believes that the
3.7.6.
development of
for
Europe’s forestry and forestry industry. Certification can act as
an effective tool for communicating the high standard of
European forestry management. The certification system
should be able to take account of the small-scale nature of
European forestry as well as regional differences in the
structure, ownership conditions and forms of use of forests.
The debate on certification will probably extend to other
natural resources in the future, whereupon the experience
gained from forest certification can be put to good use.

3.8.1.
The introduction of the forestry information and
communication system (Efics) is one aspect of the forestry
strategy. The aim is to obtain comparable and objective data
on the Community’s forestry sector. The system is intended to
contain relevant information about Community measures
relating to forestry as well as basic information on Member
States’ national or regional forest policies and programmes. In
addition it will gather information and analyse the future
development of the forestry sector with respect to trade,
industry, employment and environmental issues.

These are ambitious objectives. At the same time,
3.8.2.
there is an ever-growing need for standardised data, whether it
be for the introduction of pan-European criteria and indicators
for sustainable forestry management, the monitoring of data
on threats to forests, the development of certification systems,
and the evaluation or monitoring of Community measures.

The Committee of the Regions welcomes action
3.8.3.
intended to improve the accessibility and quality of data. This
also provides opportunities for developing communication
systems at different levels, which can be used to improve
cooperation between players in the forestry sector and to
provide better basic information on forestry measures to a
wider public.

4. Conclusions

4.1.
The Committee of the Regions believes that sustainabi-
lity should become the principle for the management and use
of forests. This should encompass ecological, economic and
social sustainability.

The Committee of the Regions stresses that the signifi-
4.2.
cance and conditions of forestry and the forestry industry, as
well as patterns of forest use, vary considerably from region to
region. It is, therefore, sensible for decision-making in this area
to respect the subsidiarity principle — in other words each
Member State should draw up its own forestry policy.

4.3.
The Committee of the Regions believes it is important
that, in addition to national forestry policies, the EU should
draw up a common forestry strategy, as in any case forestry
comes up in many aspects of the Community’s work. In order
to implement the common strategy the Commission needs to
step up its involvement in the forestry sector and increase
coordination between different players, for example by strengt-
hening the role of the Standing Forestry Committee.

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4.4.
The Committee of the Regions considers that the
forestry strategy has quite rightly stressed the importance of
forests for rural development, the conservation of biodiversity
and environmental considerations. Too little attention has
been paid to the economic exploitation of forests. However, in
extensive forest regions, the exploitation of the wood resources
and other products is the main form of forest use, and this
means that it is certain that forestry will remain a source of
economic prosperity and employment in Europe. Forests are
also of considerable economic importance for tourism and
recreation in some regions.

The economic importance of forestry must also be reflected in
the EU’s support for forestry research. Among other things,
future R&D work should take account of the ‘forestry-wood
chain’ which was set up and implemented under the FAIR
programme.

4.5.
The growing use of wood as an energy source — which
helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — is increasing
the economic and employment significance of forests. The
Commission should contribute to technical expertise in this
area by supporting research and training.

The Committee of the Regions feels it is important for
4.6.
the Commission to evaluate more carefully the effectiveness of
the Community’s forestry measures and their regional impact
to date. Efforts to achieve the objectives of the forestry
measures linked to the Agenda 2000 reform should also be
actively monitored.

The Committee of the Regions believes that only limited
in order to avoid
support should be given to forestry,

Brussels, 18 November 1999.

distortions of competition and ensure that market forces are
respected. In this connection it should be remembered that
forestry cannot always be measured by economic yardsticks,
since there are certain mountain and geomorphologically
sensitive regions where the most important function of forests
is to protect the soil and the surrounding areas from land-slides,
avalanches and flooding.

4.7.
Taking into account the EU’s considerable role in
directing and resolving international forestry issues, the Com-
mittee of the Regions believes that the EU should make it an
explicit objective to achieve the same level of sustainable
forestry management worldwide as that which exists within
the EU.

4.8.
The Committee of the Regions supports the develop-
ment of voluntary certification systems, as certification can be
used to demonstrate the high level of forestry management in
Europe and to promote the trade and competitiveness of wood
products. The certification system should be able to take
account of the small-scale nature of European forestry, as
well as the regional differences in the structure, ownership
conditions and forms of use of forests. The Committee of the
Regions stresses that Commission measures to harmonise
forestry certification systems should take account of the fact
that these systems are market-directed, voluntary instruments
in which the main players are producers, industry and the
purchasers of wood products.

4.9.
The Committee of the Regions stresses that the Euro-
pean forestry information and communication system (Efics)
should be developed in order to obtain comprehensive and
harmonised data on the European forestry sector. This will also
create better conditions for communication and information in
general.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Manfred DAMMEYER