1. New EU Forest Strategy and Update on Forest Information and Monitoring
Ernst Schulte – María Gafo
DG Environment and DG Agriculture and Rural Development
30th meeting of the Commission expert group on forest fires
Sezana, Slovenia, 18/19 April 2013

2. Forestry Strategy and Forest Action Plan
1998: EU Forestry Strategy
2005: Implementation of the EU Forestry Strategy
2006: Forest Action Plan ( )
2011: Launch of the review of the EU Forestry Strategy
New Forest Strategy scheduled
for the Spring of 2013

3. New EU Forest Strategy: inputs
Workshops with Member States and Stakeholders
Working Groups under the Standing Forestry Committee
Ex-post evaluation of the Forest Action Plan

4. Towards a new EU Forest Strategy - Forest Strategy
- A holistic view of forests and all related policies, addressing also the value chain.
- Ensuring that forests play a positive socio-economic & environmental role in the EU: employment and rural development, added value products while delivering ecosystem services
(…)

5. Towards a new EU Forest Strategy
Address in a coherent framework policy areas that have implications for forests.
Integrated with key EU political strategies: contribution from the sector to Europe 2020 Strategy and other 2020 and 2050 targets.
Address how to influence action on forests in areas of EU competence.
Strengthening the International pillar
Suggesting guiding principles for ensuring coherence (i.e. sustainability criteria for different uses of forest biomass).

6. Headline target suggested by the WG
Towards a new EU
Forest Strategy
Works ongoing
Headline target suggested by the WG
To ensure and demonstrate by 2020 that all forests in the EU are managed according to sustainable forest management principles, and thus:
- contribute to balancing the different forest functions and meeting demands, delivering vital ecosystem services;
- provide a basis for forestry and the whole forest-based value chain to be competitive and viable contributors to the green economy.
(Ad-hoc WG of the Standing Forestry Committee contributing to the development of a new EU Forest Strategy)

7. Towards a new EU
Forest Strategy
Works ongoing
Green economy
An economy that generates growth, creates jobs and eradicates poverty by investing in and preserving the natural capital offers upon which the long-term survival of our planet depends.
Source: COM(2011)363 "Rio+20: towards the green economy and better governance".

8. WHAT: priorities and objectives
Works ongoing
EU commitment to SFM as defined by Forest Europe
Strong and coherent framework with mechanisms to improve coordination, cooperation and communication
Sustainable solutions to emerging challenges and to sustainably manage the multiple demands
Focus on the 10 interrelated priorities
(Proposal from the WG under the Standing Forestry Committee contributing to the development of a new EU Forest Strategy)

9. WHAT: the 10 interrelated priorities
Works ongoing

10. EU Strategy on climate change adaptation Plant Health Regulation
Forest protection
Works ongoing
Green paper on forest protection and information in the EU :
Rural development funding
Regional (incl. Neighbourhood) policy funding
Research: Horizon 2020
EU Biodiversity Strategy
In preparation:
EU Strategy on climate change adaptation
Plant Health Regulation
New LIFE+ Regulation
EU Forest Strategy

11. Forest information and monitoring (1)
Works ongoing
An example:
An increase of forest area
provides little information on the condition of the forests regarding forest biodiversity, forest condition, forest damage or fragmentation
does not necessarily lead to an improvement in the forest regarding forest connectivity and the potential increase of forest biodiversity
is not correlated with an increase in growing stock or biomass. Unstocked forest areas contribute also to the increase in forest area overall.
=> we need more information to protect forests

12. Forest information and monitoring (2)
Works ongoing
Preparatory Action (1 M €)
initial spatial assessment of forest area, forest spatial pattern and fragmentation, and forest biomass, in close collaboration with the national forest inventories.
The European Forest Fire Information System EFFIS is planned to be complemented with a dedicated module aiming at the assessment of forest damages overall, including biotic (pests) and abiotic (wind/snow storms) damages
The aim is to set up a coherent European Forest Information system

13. Calendar for the new EU Forest Strategy 8 June 2012
Adoption of the report from the WG under the Standing Forestry Committee
4 of July 2012
2nd Workshop with Member States and stakeholders: presentation of the final report
September 2012
Opinion of the Standing Forestry Committee on the final report
October 2012 –April 2013
Preparation of the Communication by the Commission services
Spring 2013
Adoption of the New Strategy COM addressed to Council and Parliament
2013
Possible debate in Council and Parliament (up to Council and Parliament to decide on the follow up)

14. Thank you for your attention!