CELEX: 51998PC0173
Language: en
Date: 1998-03-24
Title: Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 1615/89 establishing a European Forestry Information and Communication System (EFICS)

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                 COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                  Brussels, 24.03.1998
                                                  COM(1998) 173 final
             REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL
                 on the implementation of the European Forestry
      Information and Communication System (Efics) established by Council
                          Regulation (EEC) No 1615/89
                                   Proposal for a
                          COUNCIL REGULATION (EC)
       amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 1615/89 establishing a European
             Forestry Information and Communication System (Efics)
                          (presented by the Commission)
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---              Report to the Council on the implementation of the European Forestry
            Information and Communication System (Efics) established by Council
                                      Regulation (EEC) No 1615/89
1.        Efics's objectives
The European Forestry Information and Communication System (Efics) was established
by Council Regulation (EEC) No 1615/89 of 29 May 19891 and extended by Council
Regulation (EC) No 400/94 of 21 February 19942.
The objectives of the System are defined in Article 1 of the Regulation, which stipulates
that:
-   the purpose of the System is "to collect, coordinate, standardise and process data
   concerning the forestry sector and its development".
-   The System is created "in order to collect comparable and objective information on
    the structure and operation of the forestry sector in the Community, and thus facilitate
    implementation and monitoring of the Community forestry provisions in force"3.
Article 2 also stipulates that the System "shall take account of existing data, and in
particular statistics compiled by the Statistical Office of the European Communities, and
shall make use of information available in the Member States, in particular data
contained in national forestry inventories, and of any database accessible at Community
and international level".
2.        Implementation of the System during 1989-97
2.1       Initial period (1989-92)
A small number of measures were carried out during the initial period of application of
the Regulation. An initial, limited, study was launched to evaluate the differences in the
forestry inventory procedures in the Member States. It demonstrated the lack of
harmonisation in the field of forestry statistics. However, given the lack of detail in the
study, it was not possible to draw any operational conclusions on steps to be taken to
improve the situation.
Preparatory work was also carried out to evaluate the status of forestry data available in
the different Member States. It was found that there were no data at all for a large number
of activities in the sector.
 1
     O J L 165, 15.6.1989, p. 12.
 2
     OJ L 54. 25.2.1994, p. 5.
     The main measures referred to are the subject of the following Regulations and Decisions: Regulation
     (EEC) No 1610/89 laying down provisions for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 4256/88 as regards
     the scheme to develop and optimally utilise woodlands in rural areas in the Community; Regulation
     (EEC) No 2080/92 instituting a Community aid scheme for forestry measures in agriculture;
      Regulation (EEC) No 867/90 on improving the processing and marketing conditions for forestry
      products; Decision 89/367/EEC setting up a Standing Forestry Committee; Regulation (EEC)
      No 2157/92 amending Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86 on the protection of the Community's forests
      against atmospheric pollution; Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 on protection of the Community's forests
      against fire.
                                                  1
 ---pagebreak--- In view of the modesty of the results obtained in the initial period of application, the
Regulation had to be extended for the period 1993-97.
2.2      Second period (1993-97)
At its meeting on 10 June 1994 the Standing Forestry Committee (SFC) identified five
main fields which it felt should form an initial framework for the Efics. They were:
- forestry resources (including the parameters sustainable development, biodiversity,
   etc)
- forest products (the timber industry)
- forest ownership structure
- forestry activities at Community level
- the organisation and objectives of and means for implementing forestry policies in the
   Member States.
Several operations forming part of the above objectives were then undertaken by the
Commission:
- The collection, verification and publication by Eurostat of forestry statistics as part of
   Efics ("Forestry statistics" document published in 1995 for 1985-91 and under
   preparation for 1992-96).
- The implementation of measures in the field of remote sensing applied to the forestry
   sector, in connection with work undertaken by the S AI (department for remote sensing
   applications) at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra as part of the FIRS (Forest
    Information from Remote Sensing) project4.
- The creation, and participation in the work, of the Intersecretariat Working Group
   (IWG) bringing together several international organisations working in the forestry
   statistics field (DG VI, Eurostat, the Economic Commission for Europe of the United
   Nations (UN-ECE), the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the
   Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the
   International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO)) and intended to guarantee
   cooperation between the organisations and complementarity of their activities so as to
   avoid any duplication of work. This cooperation has enabled a questionnaire to be
   drawn up common to Eurostat, the FAO and the UN-ECE for the collection of
   statistical data on the production of and trading in forest products.
- Collaboration with the UN-ECE and the FAO in the work undertaken by those bodies
   to assess temperate and boreal forest resources for the year 2000 (TBFRA-2000, part
     Launching of a study on the application of remote sensing to the monitoring of changes in forest cover
     and the structural diversity of forests. Entrusted to a consortium led by GAF (Gesellschaft fur
     Angewandte Fernerkundung mbH), the study was part of the scientific and technical support activities
     for Community policies and should be completed by August 1988.
     Launching by the Centre for Earth Observation (CEO) of the SAI at Ispra JRC as part of the Forest
     Monitoring in Europe with Remote Sensing (FMERS) project, of a study intended to develop and
     implement methods aimed at deriving from remote sensing data certain information linked to forests
     (surface, structure and volume).
 ---pagebreak---    of the overall assessment FRA-2000), which included Community financial assistance
   to the analyses carried out by the UN-ECE into the sustainable development of forests
   (implementation of Resolution No 1 of the ministerial conference on the protection of
   forests in Europe (Helsinki, 1993) and integration of the sustainable management
   criteria and indicators into forestry inventories).
In addition to the above work a second comparative study on forestry inventory systems
in Europe was carried out by the European Forestry Institute (EFI). This had more
ambitious objectives than the first and was allocated more resources. It was intended to
make a critical inventory of the quality and comparability of statistical data resulting
from the different protocols used to measure forestry resources in Europe. It was
completed at the end of January 1997.
An initial report describing and comparing the forestry inventory systems in the
European Union and several other European countries5 was published by the
Commission in 19976. A second report, issued at the end of the study in February 1997,
proposed several scenarios for action to be undertaken if Europe was to have reliable and
comparable statistics on forestry resources. The scenarios were based on a comparison of
the national inventories carried out during the first stage and on the results, also noted in
the report, of an inquiry intended to assess the needs of users with regard to forestry
resources statistics and of a simulation study estimating the discrepancies produced in
such statistics by the disparities between the data collection and processing procedures
used in the countries covered by the study7.
In addition, a number of measures undertaken outside the scope of the Efics Regulation
have already supplied results the use of which could help to implement the System.
Without encroaching on those measures, Efics could be a suitable method for
disseminating and following up their results. The measures were:
- Work carried out under Council Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86 on the protection of
   the Community's forests against atmospheric pollution which is used for the
    preparation of an annual report on the state of health of Europe's forests. The work
    comprises a periodical inventory of damage caused to forests by observing more than
    70 000 trees from about 3 400 observation points covering all European forests and
    the intensive monitoring of about 500 observation plots in all Member States.
 -   The system implemented under Council Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 on protection
    of the Community's forests against fire. This covers 319 NUTS II or III regions in the
    six Member States containing the fire-risk zones (Germany, Spain, France, Greece,
    Italy and Portugal) and contains a description of the 460 000 fires studied between
     1985 and 1995.
 - The report prepared in application of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2080/92 of
     30 June 1992 instituting a Community aid scheme for forestry measures in agriculture.
      Iceland. Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.
      "Document" series, 2 volumes, 1328 pp.; ISBN 92-827-9846-1.
      The simulation demonstrated, for example, that if the definitions used in Luxembourg and in the
      United Kingdom were applied to the determination of the forest area of Finland there would be a 14%
      discrepancy between the two calculated figures.
                                                      V
 ---pagebreak--- -   A description of the forestry research projects financed by the Commission under the
    Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development.
2.3       Missing information       and    difficulties and  obstacles    encountered    during
          implementation
Alongside the problems already mentioned - lack of European harmonisation of forestry
statistics and the availability of some data - the main difficulties encountered in
implementing the Regulation to date have been the reservations expressed by Member
States in taking the measures required to improve the quality of international data (lack of
personnel and funding).
 Although there has been significant progress in the field of forestry resources, work
carried out in the other areas identified as priorities by the SFC in 1994 have yielded little
 success because of the above difficulties.
 3.        Guidelines for implementing the System during the period 1998-2002
 3.1       The challenges
 Recent developments and discussions on forests, their products and markets, particularly
 with regard to the concept of sustainable management, have confirmed that existing
 statistical data in the sector are not reliable or comparable enough. The economic,
 environmental and social significance of forests is currently receiving increased attention
 and the data available from national inventories are not adequate for meeting challenges
 such as:
 -   the action to be taken as a result of the European Parliament's legislative initiative (the
     Thomas Report). In paragraph 13 of one of its resolutions it asks the Commission to
     make provision for "the effective implementation of the forestry information and
     communication system (Efics)" and for the forestry sector to "discuss forthwith the
     usefulness of a European forestry inventory by state and by region which would
     provide the Union with the necessary information to continue to ensure sustainable
     management of forestry resources";
  - the contribution which must be made to the work of the European Environmental
     Agency (EEA) on the report on the state of the environment in Europe (the Dobris
     assessment) with regard to the forestry aspects (resources, multi-function role of
     forests);
 -   the evaluation that has to be made of future trends in the timber and derived products
     market, taking account of the impact on the market of the liberalisation of
     international trade, and of the resulting forestry forecasts that can be made at Union
     level;
  - the necessary reinforcement of the multi-function role of the forest with its impact on
     rural development and employment policies.
  After the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden Europe became the second-largest
  producer and consumer of forestry products in the world and it must therefore have a
  statistical tool enabling it to give reliable information on at least the most important data.
                                                      ç
 ---pagebreak---  That need can only be underlined by the likely accession in the near future of six new
countries from central, eastern and Mediterranean Europe, which will significantly
 increase our forestry resources and the potential consumption of forestry products.
 In addition, suitable information needs to be available for current discussions on
ecological certification, on use of timber compatible with the environment (e.g. as a
renewable energy resource) or as a building material with thermal and sound insulation
properties.
3.2      Topics to be considered
  The Commission is proposing to establish an indicative working programme for the next
few years which will concentrate on the following:
- forestry resources,
- forest ownership structure,
- non-commercial forest values,
- Community forestry measures,
- forestry products (wood as a structural material ("mechanical") and other forestry
    products).
The Commission is aware of the amount of work required on those topics. It would be
unrealistic to think that all the problems they contain can be resolved during the period
covered by the Regulation. Efics's implementation can only be gradual; it is a process
whose regular progress must be guaranteed.
3.3      The proposed working programme
The working programme proposed by the Commission is summarised in the annexed
Table, which is based on the priorities mentioned above. It has already been presented to
the SFC and the Eurostat "forestry statistics" working party at their joint meeting in
Luxembourg on 21 July 1997, where, although the meeting stressed that some points still
required discussion in more detail, it was on the whole given a positive reception. It will
be re-presented to the SFC for approval in accordance with the procedure set out in the
new Regulation.
Implementation of the measures in the working programme will require the maintenance
and, if necessary, reinforcement of the existing cooperation with other international
institutions active in the forestry statistics field, particularly within the intersecretariat
working group on forestry statistics, so that the work of the various institutions can be
coordinated and duplication avoided.
Measures to be undertaken on the development of nomenclatures, the harmonisation of
existing data or the coordinated development of new data (e.g. on biodiversity) will be
 discussed within an Efics working party whose members can be taken from the SFC and
 the "forestry statistics" working party. The working party will also have to decide which
 of the working programme's measures should be given priority.
                                                C
 ---pagebreak--- The sectoral studies and analyses (forestry product markets, statistics on foreign trade,
etc) which the Commission intends to launch must link the various departments
concerned (Eurostat, DG III, DG VI, etc). In more general terms, it will be necessary to
specify during the measures' initial implementation phases the responsibilities of the
various Commission departments; these are currently only mentioned in indicative terms
in the working programme and only for certain measures.
It is expected that the working programme will permit the development over the course
of the next few years of the most important measures and contribute to the broader
discussion of forestry strategy in which Efics will be called on to play a role.
                                               >
 ---pagebreak---                                                  EFICS: INDICAT IVE WORKING PROGRAMME
                                                               Measure                                                                                Type of work
    Creation of a  Feasibility study          Launch of a computer-based project                                                            Study
    database
                   Design of the database and Forestry- resources: Eurostat and/or UN-ECE data                                              Services
                   inputting of data already  Forestry products and trade: Joint Eurostat/UN-ECE/FAO questionnaire and historical data
                   available                  (COMEXT)
                                              Forest ownership: Information collected by Eurostat and UN-ECE
                                              Community forestry measures:
                                              - Report on Regulation (EEC) No 2080/92 instituting a Community aid scheme for forestry
                                                  measures in agriculture
                                              - Annual reports on Regulations concerning protection against atmospheric pollution and
                                                  fire
                                              - Data on research measures and COST-type activities
                                              Other information:
                                              - Addresses of contacts in the Member States possessing the results of national inventories
                                                  or direct links with information servers
<*)
                                              - links with other international databases managed by governmental organisations (UN-
                                                  ECE, FAO, etc)
                   Inputting new information  Geo-referenced information and/or maps resulting from cooperation with the institute for      Internal DG VI work in liaison
                                              remote-sensing applications as part of the FIRS project, or CORINE Land Cover extracts        with the JRC at Ispra, the EEA,
                                                                                                                                            etc
                                              Results of specific analyses linked to sectoral requirements                                  Services
    Improvement of Forestry resources         Development of a common nomenclature for the most important features (related to forestry     Discussions within an ad hoc
    data and       nomenclature (timber)      area, changes, species, volume and its variation), with study of the possibility of using for Efics working party under the
    harmonisation                             Efics the definitions adopted as part of TBFRA-2000.                                          SFC's         control,       plus
                                                                                                                                            collaboration with the IWG and
                                                                                                                                            consideration of the work on
                                                                                                                                            the assessment of temperate and
                                                                                                                                            boreal forests for the year 2000
                                                                                                                                            (TBFRA-2000).
 ---pagebreak---                                                      EFICS: INDICATIVE WORKING PROGRAMME
                                                                  Measure                                                                                  Type of work
   Improvement of Forestry resources             Development of a common nomenclature of goods and services other than timber production         Analyses within Efics working
   data and       nomenclature (goods and                                                                                                        part)' under the SFCs control,
   harmonisation  services other than timber                                                                                                     plus collaboration with the
   (continued)    production)                                                                                                                    IWG and consideration of the
                                                                                                                                                 TBFRA-2000 work.
                  Forest ownership nomenclature  Development of a common nomenclature for forestry ownership. Determine whether the              Analyses within Efics working
                                                 nomenclature chosen by TBFRA 2000 meets Efics's needs, if necessary agree on                    part>' under the SFCs control,
                                                 nomenclature to be adopted.                                                                     plus collaboration with the
                                                                                                                                                 IWG and consideration of the
                                                                                                                                                 TBFRA-2000 work.
                  Conversion of national data on Establishment of conversion factors for national data on forestry resources (timber) so that    Internal study in each Member
                  forestry resources (timber)    they can be aligned on the European definitions adopted (application of the factors will be an  State with coordination by the
                                                 intermediate step between the adoption of the new nomenclature and its implementation in        Efics working party and
                                                 the national inventories).                                                                      financial support from the
-o                Forestry products and trade    Launch of a study on trade statistics for roundwood and forestry industry products aimed at:
                                                                                                                                                 Commission if necessary
                                                                                                                                                 Study
                                                 - analysing in detail the various sources of foreign trade statistics in the Union and EFTA
                                                     (joint FAO/UN-ECE/Eurostat questionnaire, Eurostat's COMEXT database, UN Statistics
                                                     Office's COMTRADE database, etc),
                                                 - determining the reasons for the differences and incompatibilities between the data in these
                                                     sources,
                                                 and including:
                                                 - an examination of the impact on data quality of the introduction, from 1993, of the
                                                     Intrastat system,
                                                 - proposals based on the analysis and aimed at improving the reliability of trade statistics in
                                                     the forestry sector.
                  Extension of harmonisation     Extension of harmonisation to a larger number of factors (if the gradual approach chosen for    Discussions within the Efics
                                                 the harmonisation of the first ten factors proves effective)                                    working party.
                                                 Monitoring of the technological developments which could help to implement an "Efics            Internal Commission work. ;
                                                 inventory" based on remote sensing, possible launching of studies in that field                 Studies                       f
 ---pagebreak---                                                        EFICS: INDICATIVE WORKING PROGRAMME
                                                                   Measure                                                                                     Type of work
  Data collection in Forestry resources and forest Collection in the Member States of supplementary data on forestry resources and forest            Internal work within Member
  the Member         ownership                     ownership, taking account of established nomenclature.                                            States with possible part-
  States                                                                                                                                             financing by the Commission
                                                                                                                                                     of additional work required for
                                                                                                                                                     data collection.
                     Community measures            Provision by the Member States of supplementary information on measures taken in favour of        Internal work within Member
                                                   forests in Structural Funds' regional programmes (Objectives 1, 5(b) and 6, ERDF, ESF,            States with possible part-
                                                   Regulation (EEC) No 867/90.                                                                       financing by the Commission
                                                                                                                                                     of additional work required for
                                                                                                                                                     data collection.
                     Publications                  Annual publication of the document "Forestry statistics".                                         Collection, verification and
                                                                                                                                                     publication of forestry statistics
                     Establishment of a            Establishment, in close collaboration with the Union's forestry industry and other bodies         Pilot DG III/DG IV, industry,
                     communication network         concerned, of a communication network in the forestry sector with the aim of encouraging the      etc, project.
                                                   rapid and efficient exchange of information.
0                    Specific studies                  Study of the operation of the timber sector: identification of the structure and operation of Studies and services (DG II/DG
                                                       the timber markets, mainly the roundwood market, with examination of regional flows. In       VI collaboration)
                                                       a second phase, extension of the study to derived products (wood as a structural material
                                                       ("mechanical") and other forestry products).
                                                       Analysis of the wood/paper/printing sector aimed at providing detailed economic and
                                                       strategic information on the wood processing, paper and board manufacturing and
                                                       processing, and printing and publishing industries.
                                                       Other specific analyses linked to the forestry sector and connected industries, in particular
                                                       in relation to the central and eastern European countries.
 ---pagebreak---                              Proposai for a
                   COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No
              amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 1615/89
establishing a European Forestry Information and Communication System
                                 (Efics)
                                      <ia
 ---pagebreak---                            EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
 1. The Community measure comprising the establishment of a European Forestry
 information and Communication System (Efics), as provided for in Regulation (EEC)
 No 1615/89, extended for the first time by Regulation (EC) No 400/94 and based on
 Article 213 of the Treaty, expires on 31 December 1997. The Commission is
presenting to the Council, as provided for in its 1997 agriculture and fisheries
programme, a proposal for the measure's extension for a further five years.
2. The objective of the System is to collect, coordinate, standardise and process data
concerning the forestry sector and its development, in order to compile comparable
and objective information on the structure and operation of the forestry sector in the
Union and to facilitate the implementation and monitoring of Community provisions
in force in the matter.
3. During the past period of application of the Regulation substantial progress has
been made in several fields:
- European forestry statistics are again being regularly collected, verified and
    published by Eurostat.
- Several research projects have been launched on the application of remote sensing
    to the forestry sector; these are independent of comparable projects in the R & TD
    Framework Programme but do not duplicate them.
- An In ter secretariat Working Group (IWG) has been created linking several
    international organisations active in the forestry statistics field with the aim of
    establishing cooperation to prevent duplication in the activities of the
    organisations. Its work has resulted in the preparation of a joint questionnaire for
    Eurostat, the FAO and UN-ECE for the collection of statistical data on production
    of and trading in forestry products.
- A critical inventory has been produced of the quality and comparability of
    statistical data obtained from the various forestry resource inventories produced by
    the Member States and other European countries; the analysis has helped to
    establish several ways to improve the future quality of the data.
4. The major difficulties encountered during the period of application of the
 Regulation have been:
 - The lack of harmonisation between Member States in the field of forestry statistics;
     there were considerable differences in terms of the inventory, data sources,
     nomenclature and methods of analysis and organisation.
 - The total absence of data for a great many activities in the sector.
  - Reservations expressed by Member States concerning national implementation of
      the measures required to improve the quality of international data, mainly because
      of a lack of personnel and funding.
                                               <12-
 ---pagebreak--- 5. Despite the difficulties and taking account of the progress already made, the
Commission and the members of the Standing Forestry Committee (SFC) believe that
a decisive stage has been reached in the implementation of the System and that the
measure must be continued with a number of activities of a high added-value for the
operation of the System being strengthened or launched. In general terms, forestry
information requirements are still urgent and have in fact been accentuated by the
following:
- Accession to the Union in 1995 of Austria, Finland and Sweden; this has
    considerably increased the relative significance of the forestry sector in the Union's
    economic activities.
- Community commitments entered into at the ministerial conferences on forest
    protection (Strasbourg 1990 and Helsinki 1993). The Community and Member
    States have undertaken to cooperate in the collection of data on the protection and
    sustainable management of forests in Europe.
- The increasing worldwide responsibilities of the Union in the protection and
    sustainable management of forests, reflecting its commitment to implementing the
    recommendations of the intergovernmental group on forests (following on from the
    United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Committee on
    Sustainable Development), particularly as regards the integration of the criteria and
    indicators for the sustainable management of forests into forestry inventories, the
    harmonisation of definitions and the international coordination of work on
    assessing forestry resources.
  - The forestry strategy which the Commission is obliged to prepare as a result of the
    European Parliament request expressed in its resolution of 30 January 1997. The
    resolution also underlines the importance of Efics in that context, namely as an
    information tool on Union forestry activities. That importance was also noted in the
    Economic and Social Committee non-initiative opinion of 24 April 1997 on the
    situation and problems of forestry in the European Union, and in the draft opinion
    of the Committee of the Regions on the management, utilisation and protection of
    the Union's forests.
 6. The measures which the Commission is proposing to undertake during the next few
 years have been laid out in a working programme covering a number of priority
 topics. The plan had already been presented to the SFC and the Eurostat working party
 on forestry statistics and approved by them at their joint meeting held on 21 July 1997
 in Luxembourg. It will be re-presented to the SFC for approval under the rules
 specified in the new Regulation.
  Implementation of the measures contained in the working programme will require the
  maintenance and, if necessary, reinforcement of the existing cooperation with Member
  States and with other international institutions active in the forestry statistics field,
  particularly in the IWG, so as to coordinate and supplement the work of the different
  bodies and avoid duplication.
                                               •4-3
 ---pagebreak--- At the SFC meeting on 21 July a general consensus was reached in favour of
extending the Regulation.
7. Extension of the measure respects the principles               of subsidiarity and
proportionality:
- Responsibility for the measure is shared by the Community and the Member States.
   Although it is the Community's duty to collect, process and disseminate
   comparable and objective data on the European forestry sector, it cannot do this
   unless the Member States are willing to undrtake the work to improve the
   comparability of the data obtained from the forestry inventories. Given the work
   needed to realise that, action by the Member States alone will not be enough and
   will have to be combined with that of the Community. Coordination at Community
   level and exchanges of experience between the Member States will help to reduce
   the total cost of the measure.
- The development of common European definitions and nomenclatures could not be
   undertaken by the Member States alone. Community activities in that field
   coordinated with those of other international bodies will supply a definite added
   value to Member States' work.
- If the initiative had been left to the Member States the consequence of inactivity on
   the part of the Community would have been the continued lack of reliable data on
   the European forestry sector or, in some cases, the lack of any data at all. That
   situation would not be satisfactory since both the Member States and the
   Community institutions acknowledge that such data are an invaluable aid both
   internationally and throughout Europe for sustainable development (post-Rio and -
   Helsinki process) and within the Community to support the measures presented in
   favour of forests and to prepare the future forestry strategy.
- The financial framework of the Regulation remains unchanged. The reference
   amount, ECU 3 900 000, stays the same. During 1989-97 the appropriations were
   under-used (ECU 600 000) because activities were concentrated on the analysis of
    the existing quality of forestry data and of methods for improving it. The amount
    remaining for 1998-2002 is relatively modest given the objectives pursued and the
    cost of collecting and processing forestry information in the Member States. In
    addition to the creation of the information system, Community assistance will be
    concentrated on supporting Member States in their efforts to develop appropriate
    processes for improving the comparability, reliability and comprehensiveness of
    the data on a European scale.
 - As the difficulties encountered during the past period of application of the
     Regulation have shown, the process of creating the System is a slow and complex
     one. The five-year extension is not disproportionate given the size of the tasks to be
     accomplished.
 8. The action is consistent with the Union's agricultural, structural and
 environmental policies. It meets the requirements of those policies as well as being an
                                               44
 ---pagebreak--- important information and evaluation tool, making available a number of indicators
and parameters on Europe's natural resources and their environment.
The measure does not mean that the Community must implement new procedures for
collecting data, it supplements measures already undertaken as part of the Union's
statistics policy.
                                           4.5-
 ---pagebreak---                                      Proposal for a
                             COUNCIL REGULATION ŒC) No
     amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 1615/89 establishing a European
                Forestry Information and Communication System (Efks)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular
Article 213 thereof,
I laving regard to the proposal from the Commission1,
Whereas the period of application of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1615/89 of 29
May 1989 establishing a European Forestry Information and Communication System
(Efics)2, as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 400/94 of 21 February 19943,
expires on 31 December 1997;
Whereas several Community measures have already been undertaken to establish the
system; whereas they are mainly based on an analysis of the reliability and
comparability of the data obtained from Member States' forest inventories and on
improving coordination of the statistical work undertaken by international
organisations on the forest sector; whereas that work has demonstrated the timeliness
of the process initiated by the Community and the benefits which the latter can expect
from the continuation of that work;
 Whereas the system cannot be implemented unless the Member States take
appropriate measures to that end; whereas such measures must be specified in a
working programme prepared by the Commission and presented to the Standing
Forestry Committee;
 l
 2
     OJ L 165, 15.6.1989, p. 12.
 3
     OJ I. 54, 25.2.1994, p. 5.
                                             <u
 ---pagebreak--- Whereas the implementation of Community policies, the European Union's
international commitments as part of the post-Helsinki process and to the United
Nations General Assembly and the work of the European Environmental Agency
require that the measures to be taken to improve the quality of international forestry
data and to improve the use of the computer and remote-sensing techniques most
suitable for disseminating those data, should be reinforced;
Whereas also the European Parliament Report No A4-0414/96 of 18 December 1996
on the European Union's forestry strategy stresses that the Commission must ensure
that Efics is effectively implemented; whereas the own-initiative opinion of the
Economic and Social Committee of 24 April 1997 on the situation and problems of
forestry in the European Union and the potential for developing forestry policies notes
the importance of improving information in the forestry sector and the contribution
that Efics could make to that, in particular by including data on forest protection;
Whereas the above Regulation should therefore be extended and amended to take
account of the above requirements,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
                                          Article 1
Regulation (EEC) No 1615/89 is hereby amended as follows:
(1 )     Article 1 is replaced by the following:
        "Article 1
        In order to collect objective, reliable and pertinent information on the structure
        and operation of the forestry sector in the Union, and thus:
                improve consideration of the interests of the forestry sector in
                international discussions;
                facilitate the implementation of measures in favour of the forestry
                 sector under existing Community policies;
                                                d7-
 ---pagebreak---               facilitate implementation of Member State policies relating to forestry
              or having an impact on the forestry sector;
              authorise access by the general public to information on the European
              forestry sector,
     a European Forestry Information and Communication System (Efics),
     hereinafter called 'the System', is hereby set up, the objective of which is to
     collect, coordinate, standardise and process information concerning the
     forestry sector and its development."
(2)  Article 3 is replaced by the following:
     'Article 3
     The Commission shall set up the System in close cooperation with the
     Member States and international bodies active in the field of European forestry
     statistics during an initial four-year stage starting on 1 January 1989 and
     ending on 31 December 2002.
     To improve the comparability and completeness of the data at a European
     level, implementation of the System may require that Member States take
     measures aimed at adjusting or supplementing their procedures for the
     collection of data, in particular where the evaluation of forestry resources and
     the monitoring of the timber and forestry products market are concerned.
     The Commission shall, where appropriate, support measures undertaken by
     Member States and other international organisations such as the United
     Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Economic
      Commission for Europe (UN-ECE) and intended to meet the specific
      requirements for setting up the System."
 (3)  The following Article 3a is inserted:
                                            ^8
 ---pagebreak---        "Article 3 a
       (1 )      The Commission shall present to the Standing Forestry Committee, set
                up by Decision 89/367/EEC4 for a period extending to 31 December
                2002, a working programme detailing the measures which must be
                taken by Member States and the Commission with a view to
                establishing the System.
       (2)      The Committee shall deliver its opinion on the working programme
                within a time limit to be fixed by its chairman on the basis of the
                urgency of the matter in question. The opinion shall be by a majority as
                provided for in Article 148(2) of the Treaty for the adoption of
                decisions which the Council is requested to take on a proposal from the
                Commission. Member States' votes in the Committee shall be weighted
                as set out in the said Article. The chairman shall not have a vote.
       (3)      (a)      The Commission shall adopt the envisaged measures where
                         they are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee.
                (b)      Where the envisaged measures are not in accordance with the
                         opinion of the Committee, or in the absence of an opinion, the
                         Commission shall present the Council without delay with a
                         proposal on the measures to be taken. The Council shall decide
                         on the proposal by qualified majority.
        If the Council has failed to adopt the measures within a period of three months
        of being asked to do so, the Commission shall adopt the proposed measures
        and implement them immediately."
(4)     Article 4 is replaced by the following:
        "Article 4
4
    OJ L 165, 15.6.1989, p. 14.
                                                49
 ---pagebreak---          The reference amount for implementing the System is ECU 3 900 000 for the
         period 1989-2002.
         The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority
         within the limits of the available budget."
(5)      Article 5 is replaced by the following:
         "Article 5
         The Commission shall report to the Council, before 1 January 2003, on the
         implementation of the System and the results obtained. In the light of that
         report it shall, where necessary, make proposals to the Council on the future
         organisation and operation of the System."
                                          Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following its publication in the
Official Journal of the European Communities.
It shall apply from 1 January 1998.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member
States.
Done at          ,                                           For the Council
                                                             The President
                                                -&0
 ---pagebreak---                                 FINANCIAL STATEMENT
1.  'TITLE OF OPERATION
Extension of the Community measure establishing a European Forestry Information
and Communication System (Efics).
2.     BUDGET HEADING INVOLVED
B2-5150            Forests
3.    LEGAL BASIS
Article 213 of the Treaty.
Council Regulation (EEC) No 1615/89 of 29 May 1989 establishing a European
forestry Information and Communication System (Efics)1, as amended by Council
Regulation (EC) No 400/94 of 21 February 19942, expiring on 31 December 1997.
The purpose of the proposal is to extend the Regulation by five years. The period
covered by the Regulation would then be 1989-2002.
4.     DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION
4.1       General objective
Regulation (EEC) No 1615/89 was adopted as part of the implementation of the
"Forestry action programme" launched by the Commission in 1988. The system
introduced by the Regulation was regarded as a tool indispensable to the optimum
implementation of the forestry policy measures which the programme proposed to
implement throughout the Community.
The objective of the system is to collect, coordinate, standardise, process and
disseminate data concerning the forestry sector and its development, in order to collect
objective, reliable and pertinent information on the structure and operation of the
forestry sector in the Union, and thus:
        improve consideration of the interests of the forestry sector in international
        forums, such as the Convention on biodiversity, or in forums related to forest
        protection and climate change;
        facilitate the implementation of measures in favour of the forestry sector under
        existing Community policies (CAP accompanying measures, the Structural
        Funds, environment, industry);
    ().) L 165. 15.6.1989, p. 12.
    O.I L 54,25.2.1994, p. 5.
 ---pagebreak---        facilitate implementation of Member States' forestry policies;
       allow more public access to information on European forests.
To achieve those objectives, the Commission proposes to undertake the following
measures over the next few years:
       the creation, maintenance and feeding of a database (feasibility study, design
       and inputting of data already available);
       studies to develop common noemclatures for forestry resources (timber, goods
       and services other than timber production);
       studies on the conversion of national data on forestry resources (timber);
       study on the inputting of new data into the database (geo-referenced information
       and/or maps, results of specific analyses);
       specific studies (statistics on trade in roundwood and forestry industry products,
       operation of the timber market and specific analyses linked to sectoral needs).
In addition to those measures, which are entirely the responsibility of the Community,
it is planned that the Commission will contribute to the financing of projects in the
Member States to aid the conversion of national data on forestry resources (timber)
and collection by Member States of supplementary information on forestry resources,
forest ownership and measures in favour of forests taken as part of the Structural Fund
regional programmes.
Lastly, it is planned to make a financial contribution to work the objectives of which
are compatible with those of Efics and which other international institutions active in
the field of forestry statistics will be implementing.
4.2      Period covered and arrangements for renewal or extension
First period of 4 years (Regulation (EC) No 1615/89):          1.1.1989-31.12.1992
Second period of 5 years (Regulation (EC) No 400/94):          1.1.1993-31.12.1997
Proposed extension by 5 years:                                 1.1.1998-31.12.2002
5.    CLASSIFICATION OF EXPENDITURE
5.1      Non-compulsory expenditure
5.2      Differentiated appropriations
 6.   TYPE OF EXPENDITURE
 See point 7.
                                                 -it2-
 ---pagebreak--- 7.     FINANCIAL IMPACT
7.1       Method of calculating total cost of operation
        For actions in Member States part-financed by the Commission (support for the
        conversion of data and the collection of supplementary data) a part-financing
        rate up to a maximum of 50% of the total cost is planned.
        The rate of Community part-financing for projects presented by other
        international institutions will be studied on a case-by-case basis.
        The financing of other measures will be 100% for the account of the
        Community.
7.2       Itemised breakdown of cost
            Measure             1998      1999      2000      2001     2002      2003     TOTAL
                                                                                et seq.
   Studies and services          0.2       0.3       0.3       0.3      0.2                   1.3
  Contributions to               0.2       0.2       0.4       0.4      0.3                   1.5
   Member State expenses
  Contribution to                0.1       0.1       0.1       0.1      0.1                   0.5
   international
  organisations' expenses
  TOTAL                          0.5       0.6       0.8       0.8      0.6                   3.3
N.B.: Expenditure already incurred during the first two periods of application of the
Regulation (1989-92 and 1993-97) was of the order of ECU 600 000, so the total
amount of expenditure planned for the period 1989-2002 will be, as mentioned in the
Regulation, ECU 3 900 000.
7.3       Indicative schedule of appropriations
                                                          commitment appropriations in million ecus
                           1998      1999      2000      2001      2002     2003 et seq.       TOTAL
   Commitment               0.5       0.6       0.8       0.8       0.6                           3.3
   appropriations
   Payment
   appropriations
   1998                     0.3                                                                   0.3
   1999                     0.2       0.4                                                         0.6
  2000                                0.1       0.5                                               0.6
  2001                                0.1       0.2       0.5                                     0.8
  2002                                          0.1       0.2       0.4                           0.7
  2003 et seq.                                            0.1       0.2                           0.3
  TOTAL                     0.5       0.6       0.8       0.8       0.6                           3.3
 ---pagebreak--- 8.      FRAUD PREVENTION MEASURES
On-the-spot checks will be carried out to verify the execution in Member States of
projects part-financed by the Commission and to verify the financial aspects.
9.      ELEMENTS OF COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS
9.1       Specific and quantified objectives; target population
To attain the objectives set out in the Regulation it is proposed to concentrate in the
next few years on the acquisition of data and improving their comparability and
reliability in each of the following areas:
-    forestry resources,
-    forest ownership structure,
-    non-commercial values of forests;
-    Community forestry measures,
-    forest products (wood as a structural material ("mechanical") and other forest
     products).
Special horizontal measures will be undertaken to:
- define the nomenclatures and common definitions in each of the fields,
- improve Community-wide comparability of national data collected,
- determine the technical solutions to be adopted for the collection, storage and
     dissemination of the information taking account of the principle of subsidiarity.
 The Commission intends to use Efics to undertake consistent measures for the forestry
 sector in the Community and to implement them in the best possible way. It may also
 prove useful in the formulation and implementation of more general policies such as
 environmental or industrial policies or for employment initiatives. It is also
 anticipated that the system, by providing reliable information on the European forestry
 sector, its sustainable development and its environment, will more broadly benefit
 various public and private bodies in the Member States.
 9.2      Grounds for the operation
 9.2.1 Need for Community financial aid
  It is necessary for the Community to participate in the measures needed to implement
  Efics and improve the quality of its data. If the initiative were left to the Member
  States the consequence of inactivity on the part of the Community would be the
  continued lack of reliable data on the European forestry sector or, in some cases, the
  lack of any data at all. That situation would not be satisfactory since both the Member
  States and the Community institutions acknowledge that such data are an invaluable
  aid both internationally and throughout Europe for sustainable development (the post-
  Rio and -Helsinki process) and within the Community to support measures in favour
  of forestry and to prepare future forestry strategy.
                                                 -SU
 ---pagebreak--- Implementing forestry measures as part of Community policies (the CAP, industry,
the environment, etc) requires a suitable information system possessing reliable and
comparable-data at European level. In addition, any national or regional measure must
have access to such data to form its basic indicators (environment, socio-economic
conditions, etc) which will later permit a quantitative evaluation of the impact of the
measure on the territory in question. The specific characteristics and great variety of
ecological and socio-economic conditions in Europe's forests must be reflected in
such an information system. Consideration of local and regional features in European
forests will permit an integrated and decentralised approach at regional level.
Responsibility for the measure is shared between the Community and its Member
States. Although it is the Community's duty to collect, process and disseminate the
comparable and objective data on the European forestry sector, it cannot do this unless
the Member States are willing to take action to improve national data. Such work will
require coordination and consultations at Community level and exchanges of
information and experience will help Member States to profit from their work.
The development of common European definitions and nomeclatures could not be
undertaken by the Member States alone. Community activities in that field
coordinated with those of other international bodies will supply a definite added value
to Member States' work.
The need for Community action has been repeatedly stressed by the SFC, which has
always been unanimously in favour of implementing the System. That need has been
 confirmed by other institutions, viz.:
-   the European Parliament, in its report of 18 December 1996 on the European
    Union's forestry strategy,
    the Economic and Social Committee, in its own-initiative opinion of 24 April 1997
   on the situation and problems of forestry in the European Union and the potential
    lor developing forestry policies,
-   the Committee of the Regions, in its draft opinion on the management, use and
   protection of forests in the European Union.
9.2.2    Choice of ways and means
The ways and means chosen by the Community and based around the measures
described in point 9.1 are the result of discussions with the Member States within the
SFC. During their course all the scenarios were studied which were proposed in a
study on forestry inventory systems in Europe conducted by the European Forestry
Institute (EFI) for the Commission and completed in 1997. For example, the option of
conducting a Europe-wide independent Efics inventory was judged unrealistic at the
current slage in view of its expense and the problems which would be encountered by
Member States.
The amount allocated is considered relatively modest given the objectives pursued and
the cost of collecting and processing forestry information in the Member States. In
                                              *5-
 ---pagebreak--- addition to the creation of the information system, Community assistance will be
concentrated on supporting Member States in their work on creating appropriate
processes for improving the comparability, reliability and comprehensiveness of the
data on a European scale.
9.3     Monitoring and evaluation of the operation
The operation will be monitored and evaluated in close collaboration between DCs
III, VI. XI and XII, Eurostat and the Member States represented in the SFC's Efics
working party and the Agricultural Statistics Committee's "forestry statistics"
working party. Close cooperation is also guaranteed with international organisations
such as UN-ECE in Geneva which are already involved on a more worldwide level in
collection, processing and supply of data on the forestry sector. In the context of that
cooperation the Commission participates in the work of an inter-secretariat working
group comprising representatives of DG VI, Eurostat, the FAO, the UN-ECE, the
OECD and the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO).
The presence and cooperation of those different bodies guarantees the best possible
implementation of the operation.
10.   ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURE (PART A OF THE BUDGET)
Implementation of the Regulation will not require additional administrative
expenditure. Administration will be by staff already allocated to this task, viz. one
part-time A official and one full-time B official.
Expenditure connected with the organisation of meetings, with missions and possibly
with certain publications will be charged to the general budget headings created for
that purpose in Part A of the budget. Other expenditure (studies, development of
special information systems, etc) will be committed in heading B2-5150.
                                              -&-
 ---pagebreak---                                                                    ISSN 0254-1475
                                                           COM(98) 173 final
                                             DOCUMENTS
EN                                                             03 15 16 17
                                    Catalogue number : CB-CO-98-170-EN-C
                                                             ISBN 92-78-32132-X
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