CALL FOR EVIDENCE

FOR AN IMPACT ASSESSMENT

This document aims to inform the public and stakeholders on the Commission's future legislative work so they can provide feedback on the Commission's understanding of the problem and possible solutions, and give us any relevant information that they may have, including on possible impacts of the different options.

Title of the initiative

New EU Framework for Forest Monitoring and Strategic Plans

Lead DG (responsible unit)

DG-ENV.D1 Land Use & Management

Likely type of initiative

Regulation

Indicative timetable

Q2-2023

Additional information

New EU Forest Strategy for 2030

This document is for information purposes only. It does not prejudge the final decision of the Commission on whether this initiative will be pursued or on its final content. All elements of the initiative described, including its timing, are subject to change.

A. Political context, problem definition and subsidiarity check

Political context

The European Green Deal calls for action to improve the quantity and quality of the forested area in the European Union, so the EU can reach its goal of climate neutrality and creating a healthy environment. This includes making forests more resilient and promoting the circular bio-economy. The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 echoes this ambition and sets out a comprehensive, ambitious long-term plan for protecting nature and restoring its essential functions, thereby reversing the degradation of ecosystems, including forests.

Closely linked to the EU’s ’Fit for 55’ Package, key objectives of the new EU Forest Strategy for 2030 include effective afforestation, forest preservation and restoration in Europe, an increase in the absorption of CO2, a reduction of the incidence, and mitigation of the severe impact, of forest fires, measures in support of the socioeconomic functions of forests for thriving rural areas, the promotion of the bio-economy within sustainability boundaries, and the definition, mapping and strict protection of all primary and old-growth forests.

The Strategy also announces a legislative proposal for a forest observation, reporting and data collection framework, subject to an impact assessment. To this end, Member State competent authorities would prepare strategic plans for forests and the forest-based sector, fully in accordance with the subsidiarity principle and the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. Timely, coherent and harmonised EU forest data on a suitable scale will be useful for current and future EU legislation and official texts, such as the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry Regulation the Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action, the Communication on sustainable carbon cycles, the legal initiative on the certification of carbon removals, the proposal for a Regulation on deforestation-free products, the Taxonomy Regulation, the Renewable Energy Directive, and deliverables of the Biodiversity Strategy, such as the nature restoration legislative proposal.

Problem the initiative aims to tackle

It is unanimously agreed that forests play a key role in responding to climate change, preserving and restoring biodiversity and developing the bio-economy, especially in rural areas. However, information is patchy about the status of forests in the EU, their social, ecological and economic value, and the pressures they face and ecosystem services they provide. Since 2007, when the Forest Focus Regulation expired, there are no harmonised EU forest reporting requirements. There is consequently no comparable and consistent information on the status of forests in the EU.

Climate change is increasingly affecting forests and exacerbating forest disturbances and disasters. The lack of an EU-wide monitoring system means there is no comprehensive and timely overview of forest damage, resources, management or trends. This makes it impossible to monitor the effects of existing policies and to ensure tailored adjustments. Policymakers as well as foresters and land managers need timely and accurate information to be able to take action in response to the new pressures on forests and to ensure that forests are resilient and perform their multiple functions, while meeting market demands.

The lack of harmonised data in certain areas does not only constitute a major risk for EU forests, but also for EU policy monitoring and the achievement of climate, biodiversity, rural development and sustainable bio-economy objectives. Problems arise from a lack of common definitions, ambiguity in data interpretation, a lack of long and comparable time series with high spatial resolution, a lack of interoperability, or limitations to current Copernicus forest services. Effective, forward-looking policy development also requires long-term strategic preparation for forests and the forest-based sector. National forest programmes and strategies already exist, typically with 10-year timeframes. These can be complemented by a longer-term strategic vision for transboundary issues and mutual learning.

Illegal logging, still ongoing in the EU, is difficult to tackle without up-to-date data on forest removals. Integrating remote sensing with ground-based observations in an EU-wide forest monitoring framework would be a significant step towards ending illegal logging. This will also provide better reliability of future biomass availability to wood processing industries.

Basis for EU action (legal basis and subsidiarity check) 

Legal basis

The legislative initiative is based on Article 192(1) TFEU. The legal basis allows EU legislators to take measures aimed at preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment, protecting human health, ensuring natural resources are used sensibly and sustainably, promoting measures at international level to deal with regional or worldwide environmental problems, and in particular combating climate change.

The EU has a range of forest-related competences, in areas such as climate, energy, the environment, rural development and disaster prevention. It has already exercised these competences in several cases, in line with the principle of subsidiarity, and forests are covered by a number of legal texts, e.g. the Habitats Directive, the Timber Regulation, the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry Regulation and the Renewable Energy Directive.

Practical need for EU action

An EU framework for forest monitoring and strategic plans is warranted for the following reasons.

1.The lack of harmonised, coherent and timely information needed to act against stressors and threats as well as to monitor policy action comprehensively and cost-efficiently.

2.The significant transboundary impacts of forest disturbances and disasters that result in greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss and market distortions.

3.The need for a coherent system to monitor and plan for transformations in forests and the forest-based sector as a result of climate change.

4.The need for a level playing field for forest products from sustainably produced biomass, to reward foresters and land managers who implement land management schemes with co-benefits for the climate, biodiversity and the bio-economy.

The EU is the appropriate actor in this case, as it works strenuously for the convergence of forest indicators and data collection methods to obtain comparable and EU-wide data. This is not something that can be tackled at the level of individual Member States. Drawing on existing monitoring systems and emerging science, promotion of EU-wide methodological standards and knowledge sharing will also enable more cost-efficient reporting and monitoring.

B. Objectives and policy options

The main objective of this initiative is to improve forest monitoring by providing timely, validated, interoperable and freely accessible data and information across the EU for frequent and cost-efficient reporting on priority EU policy-relevant topics, such as climate change, biodiversity, health, forest damage, forest disturbances, forest management and forest use for various socioeconomic purposes.

Strategic forest developments in all EU Member States require reliable monitoring with adequate spatial and temporal granularity, transparent governance and coordinated exchange at EU level to deliver on EU objectives, especially the European Green Deal’s goals for the transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy, the adaptation of Europe’s forests to climate change and the protection and restoration of biodiversity. The initiative also has links to the digital transition’s objective of delivering a Europe fit for the digital age. It will empower people, businesses and administrations alike by providing access to harmonised forest-related data and making better use of digital technologies.

Today’s forest managers and policymakers rely on national forest inventories with varying designs and update cycles to access forest data, while specific initiatives, including the International Co-operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests) and the Land Use/Cover Area frame Survey, provide certain forest-related information across the EU. The impact assessment will assess different options aimed at ensuring the public has access to harmonised, timely and interoperable information with high spatial granularity on EU forests. This may encompass ground-based sample data, data from Earth Observation with a specific focus on the Copernicus Programme, and the integration of sample data with Earth Observation.

Monitoring options may also explore the possibilities of data integration and harmonisation versus the production of new fully standardised EU data sets. Closely related, options for strategic forest plans will assess approaches to structured data collection and information that will facilitate exchange, comparison, discussions and mutual learning on medium to long-term EU forest and forest-based sector developments, fully in line with subsidiarity.

C. Likely impacts

All significant impacts will be screened in the upcoming impact assessment.

Likely environmental impacts include better access to forest information that will help to better understand forest ecosystems, to act accordingly and to adapt policies to changing conditions. Together with strategic forest plans, this will make it possible to adapt forest management activities and conservation measures in time to ensure thriving forests with increased carbon sinks and improved biodiversity, as well as sustainable development of the bio-economy. It will also help counter illegal logging.

Likely economic impacts include better access to forest information and better integrated Member State approaches to forest management that will help forest managers and owners to adapt their management regimes in a timely way, and support a growing bio-economy across Member State borders.

Likely social impacts include more transparent and accessible forest data, with greater possibilities for rural land monitoring and meeting strategic needs.

Likely impacts on fundamental rights and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include a significant contribution to the achievement of a number of objectives in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, such as a high level of human health, environmental and consumer protection. The initiative will also contribute to achieving the objectives on the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular SDGs 15 (life on land), 13 (climate action), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), 6 (clean water) and 3 (good health and well-being), and the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests, 2017-2030.

D. Better regulation instruments

Impact assessment

An impact assessment will analyse the economic, social and environmental impacts of different options for the new EU framework for forest monitoring and strategic plans against a ‘business as usual’ baseline, taking into account existing EU and national policy initiatives, and the EU’s many different types of forest. Particular attention will be paid to subsidiarity, proportionality, flexibility, operational feasibility and administrative implementation costs.

Consultation strategy

The goal is to ensure that, through a series of activities, all relevant stakeholders are given an opportunity to express their views on the legislative proposal for an EU framework for forest monitoring and strategic plans.

A 12-week public consultation will be carried out in all 24 official EU languages. Replies can be made in any of the official EU languages. The consultation will be available on the Commission’s central consultation page (Have Your Say). A factual summary report of the consultation will be published on Have Your Say 8 weeks after it closes.

Stakeholders with specific expertise will also be consulted in targeted consultations.

Awareness of the consultation activities will be raised through the European Commission websites on forests and the Forest Strategy. Targeted information will be disseminated to relevant stakeholders and social media posts will be used to inform the public of the consultation launch and before its closure, as well as of relevant events, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Biodiversity Conference, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Conference and the EU Green Week.

There will be a synopsis report summarising the input received from all consultation activities.

Why we are consulting?

In the context of its work on a legislative proposal for a new EU framework for forest monitoring and strategic plans, the EU is seeking to gather the views of all relevant stakeholders on how to assess the state of forests, how to monitor forests and how to develop strategic visions. This will also include more detailed information in view of conducting a thorough impact assessment and developing the proposal.

Target audience

A wide range of stakeholders will be invited to provide input, notably Member State and regional competent authorities in charge of forestry, the environment, climate, spatial and urban planning and statistics; NGOs; business and interest associations, especially forest owners and managers, and providers of field monitoring and remote-sensing services and technologies; relevant experts and academics and related institutions; members of the public; and EU institutions, agencies and international organisations.