Transcript KIPKE - North Sweden European Office

The New EU Forest Strategy and recent
Forest Policy Developments
Lovisa Lilliehöök
DG Agriculture and Rural Development
Unit H.4: Environment, forestry and climate change
North Sweden European Office Seminar, Brussels, 4 June 2014
AGRI Unit H4 –
what we do
• New EU Forest Strategy
• Advice regarding the forestry measures of the Rural
development regulation and the new RD-programmes
• Negotiations on the pan-European Legally Binding
Agreement on Forests (LBA)
• Coordination of external and internal communication
through:
• Organiser of the meetings of the Standing Forestry Committee (≈
4 times/year)
• Organiser of the Inter-Service Group on Forestry
• Exchange with other DG's developing legislation/ measures/
communications etc. that touch upon forests, incl. replies to InterService Consultations
• Replies to questions from MEP's, citizens, stakeholders
• Presentations, conferences, communication activities, …
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Outline of the presentation:
1. Background information on European forests
2. The New EU Forest strategy
3. Energy and climate in the 2030 framework
4. Forests in Rural development
5. The Legally Binding Agreement on forests
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Outline of the presentation:
1. Background information on European
forests
2. The New EU Forest strategy
3. Energy and climate in the 2030 framework
4. Forests in Rural development
5. The Legally Binding Agreement on forests
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EU Forests
Forest and other wooded land:
≈180 million ha (42% of total EU land)
of which 117 million ha are available for
wood supply.
Growing stock (FOWL): 24 billion m3
Felling: 60 % of the net annual
increment from forests available for
wood supply)
Ownership: 40% public and 60%
private
Natura 2000:
25% of forests and other wooded
land under Natura 2000 Network
50% of total Natura 2000 network in
forests and other wooded land
Certification: around 50% certified
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EU Forest-based sector:
increasing demands
• Forest-based industries
• - Mr Jeremy Wall will cover this part further
• Forest bioenergy
• - Around 50% of total EU renewable energy
consumption
• - Most imports (mainly pellets) from
Canada, USA and Russia
• - Imports expected to increase in the future
• Emerging bio-based industries
• Wood is considered as an important source
of raw material (green chemicals, viscose,
bioplastics, …)
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Importance of nonwood forest products
and services
Non-wood products: Cork, resins, medicinal
plants, mushrooms, truffles, game, nuts, berries…
Services: protection of soil, air purification,
water quality, flood prevention, …
In many cases, non-wood products and services
are important in order to diversify income and as
a source of employment in less favored rural
areas
EU rural development policy supports SFM and
multifunctionality, contributing to further developing these
non-wood products and services
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Potential of Forest
Biomass Mobilisation
Mha
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EU forests: + 350 000 hectares/year
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0
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
Problems of mobilisation, e.g. fragmented ownership and small
size:
- 16 million private forest owners
- average size of private holdings 13ha (many < 5 ha)
- many forest owners are not market actors
- large national and regional variations in supply and use
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Outline of the presentation:
1. Background information on European forests
2. The New EU Forest strategy
3. Energy and climate in the 2030 framwork
4. Forests in Rural development
5. The Legally Binding Agreement on forests
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Forestry Strategy and
Forest Action Plan
History:
1998: EU Forestry Strategy
2005: Implementation of the EU Forestry
Strategy
2006: Forest Action Plan (2006-2011)
2011: Launch of the review of the EU
Forestry Strategy
2013: The Communication on a New EU
Forest Strategy adopted by the
European Commission
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Overall policy
context
-
Europe2020
Common Agricultural Policy, Rural development
EU targets on renewable energy sources
EU FLEGT Action Plan and EU Timber Regulation
EU Biodiversity Strategy
Communication on "innovative and sustainable
forest-based industries"
- Communication on "Green Infrastructure (GI) —
Enhancing Europe’s Natural Capital"
- Green Paper on forest protection and information
- Resource efficiency
- Bioeconomy
- International forest-related processes (UNFF, FLEGT,
REDD+..)
- LULUCF
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New EU Forest
Strategy
Communication from the Commission
to the Council and Parliament;
COM(2013)659 “A new EU Forest Strategy:
for forests and the forest-based sector”
Accompanied by 2 Staff Working
Documents:
- Staff WD accompanying the
Communication on a New EU Forest
Strategy
- Staff WD on a blueprint for forest-based
industries (todays' presentation by Jeremy Wall)
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/forest12
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EU Forest Strategy
 Adopted 20/9/2013 by the Commission; Submitted to
Council and European Parliament
 Presented at the Council of Ministers of Agriculture on
23/9/2013 by Commissioner Cioloş
 Builds on 2 years work with Member States and
stakeholders
 Council conclusions adopted on 19 May 2014
 CoR opinion in January 2014, EESC expected in July 2014
 EP debate in COMAGRI in Dec 2013, new EP to decide if
they will take up the subject
Lead
Cioloş (AGRI)
Co-responsible
Potočnik (ENV) and Tajani (ENTR)
Associated
Heedegard (CLIMA), Oettinger (ENER) and
Geoghegan-Quinn (RTD)
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New EU
Forest Strategy
Forest Strategy
- - for forests and the
forest-based sector
A holistic view of
forests and all related
policies,
addressing
also the value chain.
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PRINCIPLES
Sustainable
forest
management
and
the
multifunctional role of forests, delivering multiple
goods and services in a balanced way and ensuring
forest protection.
Resource efficiency, optimising the contribution of
forests and the forest sector to rural development,
growth and job creation.
Global forest responsibility, promoting sustainable
production and consumption of forest products.
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FOREST 2020
OBJECTIVES
To ensure and demonstrate that all forests in
the EU are managed according to sustainable forest
management
principles
and
that
the
EU’s
contribution
to
promoting
sustainable
forest
management and reducing deforestation at global
level is strengthened, thus:
•- contributing to balancing various forest functions,
meeting demands, and delivering vital ecosystem
services;
•- providing a basis for forestry and the whole forestbased value chain to be competitive and viable
contributors to the bio-based economy.
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8 LINKED
PRIORITY AREAS
COORDINATION
AND
COMMUNICATIO
N
Working together
Forests from a global
perspective
Supporting our rural and urban
communities
CONTRIBUTING
TO MAJOR
SOCIETAL
OBJECTIVES
Fostering the competitiveness
and sustainability of forestbased industries, bioenergy
and the wider green economy
Forests and climate change
Protecting forests and
enhancing ecosystem services
IMPROVING THE Forest information and
KNOWLEDGE
monitoring
BASE
Research and innovation
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RESOURCES
- Co-financing of forestry measures under the
Rural Development Regulation has been
and will remain the main means of EU-level
funding (€5.4 billion in 2007-2013)
- "Forestry measures under RD should be
dedicated to contributing to the objectives of
this strategy, and in particular to ensuring
that EU forests are managed according to
sustainable forest management principles".
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RESOURCES
Other sources:
- LIFE+ (nature conservation, climate change
adaptation, information and protection
needs)
- Structural funds (cohesion projects)
- Horizon 2020 (research and innovation actions,
including the public-private partnership on biobased industries)
- Development and climate change policies
(financing for third countries, in particular
through EU development funds, REDD+ and
FLEGT)
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GOVERNANCE
•
•
•
The Standing Forestry Committee should
remain the forum for discussing all forestrelated issues, ensuring coordination and
coherence of forest-related policies.
The Advisory Group on Forestry and Cork
will remain the main multi-stakeholder
platform for discussing issues related to
forestry and sustainable forest management.
The Advisory Committee on Forest-based
Industries will remain the main platform for
issues related to industrial value chains.
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AREAS TO ADVANCE
FURTHER
Other areas in which Member States
should advance further will be
identified.
i.e.
- preventing forest fires
- combating pests and diseases
- promoting sustainable wood
- regional/cross-regional cooperation
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Some on-going work linked to the
new EU forest strategy…
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Outline of the presentation:
1. Background information on European forests
2. The New EU Forest strategy
3. Energy and climate in the 2030 framework
4. Forests in Rural development
5. The Legally Binding Agreement on forests
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Energy and climate
in the 2030 framework
Commission Communication (DG's ENV & ENER)
"An improved biomass policy will also be necessary
to maximise the resource efficient use of
biomass in order to deliver robust and verifiable
greenhouse gas savings and to allow for fair
competition between the various uses of biomass
resources in the construction sector, paper and pulp
industries and biochemical and energy production.
This should also encompass the sustainable use of
land, the sustainable management of forests in line
with the EU's forest strategy and address indirect
land use effects as with biofuels"
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Energy and climate
in the 2030 framework
European Council Conclusions
on the 2030 framework
(March 2014)
"The European Council calls on the Commission to
conduct an in-depth study of EU energy security and
to present by June 2014 a comprehensive plan for
the reduction of EU energy dependence. The plan
should reflect the fact that the EU needs to accelerate
further diversification of its energy supply, increase its
bargaining power and energy efficiency, continue to
develop renewable and other indigenous energy
sources and coordinate the development of the
infrastructure to support this diversification in a
sustainable manner"
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Outline of the presentation:
1. Background information on European forests
2. The New EU Forest strategy
3. Energy and climate in the 2030 framework
4. Forests in Rural development
5. The Legally Binding Agreement on forests
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Rural areas in EU
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6 Union priorities for
rural development
1. Knowledge transfer / innovation in agriculture, forestry, rural areas
2. Viability of all types of farming in all regions; innovative farm technologies;
Sustainable management of forests
3. Food chain organisation, animal welfare, risk management in agriculture
4. Ecosystems related to agriculture and forestry
5. Resource efficiency, low-carbon / climate-resilient economy in
agriculture, food and forestry sectors
6. Social inclusion, poverty reduction and economic development in rural areas
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Required minimum
budgetary allocations
• A minimum amount of the total EAFRD contribution to
the Rural Development Programs shall be reserved:
• At least 30% for:
Environment and climate related investments (Article 18)
Forestry measures (Articles 21-26 and Article 34)
Agri-environment - climate (Article 28)
Organic farming (Article 29)
Natura 2000 (Article 30 with the exception of WFD related payments)
ANCs (Articles 31-32)
• At least 5% for Leader
Nota bene: These provisions do not apply to the outermost regions and
the overseas territories
EAFRD – European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development
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Forestry measures
(art. 21-26, 34)
• Contributing to the sustainable management of forests
• Simplified support: One measure (article 21) covering the
following sub-measures:
- Afforestation and creation of woodland
- Establishment of agroforestry systems
- Prevention and restoration of damage to forests from forest fires and
natural disasters and catastrophic events
- Investments improving the resilience and environmental value of forest
ecosystems
- Investments in forestry technologies and in processing, mobilising and
marketing of forest products
 This simplification allows beneficiaries to implement integrated projects
with increased added value.
• Forest-environment payments for going beyond the mandatory
requirements. (article 34)
- Forest-environmental and climate services and forest conservation
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Forestry measures
(art. 21-26, 34)
Forestry – more accessible and stronger EU support
• New concept of beneficiaries
- The main objective is to provide support to the person/entity
managing the forest.
• New types of support
-
Preventive actions against pests and diseases.
Conservation and promotion of genetic resources.
The use of grazing animals in prevention of forest fires.
Mobilising of wood.
Support for purchase of forestry machinery to provide forest
management services to a larger group of forest owners.
• Forest Management Plan (FMP)
- Information from the FMP is requested for all forestry support. This
information is required from beneficiaries exceeding the size limit set
by the Member State.
- Support is available under the Rural Development policy for a
preparation of the FMP.
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Outline of the presentation:
1. Background information on European forests
2. The New EU Forest strategy
3. Energy and climate in the 2030 framework
4. Forests in Rural development
5. The Legally Binding Agreement on forests
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Towards a Legally
Binding Agreement
on forests
•
Aim: to enshrine the principles of sustainable
forest management, and improve the
management of forests in the pan-European
region;
•
Mandate from FOREST EUROPE Ministerial
Conference in Oslo in 2011 (46 signatory
countries);
•
Commission and Presidency, conegotiators on behalf of the EU (based on two
decisions adopted in the Council on 7 June
2011).
•
Discussions in the Council Working Party on
Forestry to coordinate the EU Position
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Towards a Legally
Binding Agreement
on forests
- Six Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) meetings
- At Final INC, Geneva, November 2013 - most of text agreed,
including all forest-related articles, but stalemate on which UN
System body to adopt and host the agreement
- Informal high level meetings in April in Madrid and in Vienna
in May 2014 (with Russia, Norway, Switzerland, Ukraine…),
but could not resolve the deadlock
- Had it been successful; Extraordinary Forest Europe Ministerial
Conference in 2014, but now further steps are still to be
decided…
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Thank you for your attention
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/forest
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Supplementary information:
Council conclusions
on the New EU FS
• Commission invited to examine solutions for better
coordination of forest policies of the EU and the implementation
by the MSs of sustainable forest management, adaption to
climate change and information on forests.
• The Council calls on the Commission to:
- identify areas in which certain MSs may make further progress (forest
fires, natural hazards, biodiversity, measures to fight pests, …)
- reinforce and promote the role played by the Standing Forestry
Committee as a central coordination body responsible for providing
advice and improving the communication on forestry policy.
• The Council urges the Commission and the MSs to further
contribute, where appropriate, to a European information
system on forests.
-> Cont. ->
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Council conclusions
on the New EU FS
• The Council stresses the importance of further prevention
of negative impacts on forests; of mitigation and
restoration of damage and of extension of forest areas in
MSs where this is needed.
• The Commission is called to carry out an evaluation of costs
of EU-policies impacting the value chains of the wood sector
and to examine whether it is beneficial for the climate to
replace materials and energy with forest biomass and to
develop the forest biomass market.
• Finally the Council calls the MSs and the Commission to
continue to support and reinforce the effect of the forest
measures in the RD framework and to seek synergies with
other EU funds.
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