Ref. Ares(2021)3893489 - 15/06/2021
Ref. Ares(2021)5599284 - 13/09/2021
March 2020
Enhancing the EU forest policy framework through a
stronger EU forest strategy post 2020
Cepi position on the new EU Forest Strategy post-2020
European forests and the forest-based sector provide multiple solutions that contribute to Europe’s part
in keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees by strengthening its role in the circular bioeconomy. The
Confederation of European Paper Industries (Cepi) and members welcome the inclusion of new EU
Forest Strategy as a part of the European Commission contribution to climate change mitigation and the
COP26 in Glasgow and applauds the deserved spotlight the new strategy gets in the European Green
Deal.
European forests are only indirectly regulated by the EU in the context of forest-related policies
developed under conferred competences, or by means of coordination of national forestry policies at EU
level via targeted action plans, such as the EU Forest Strategy 2014-2020. Keeping in mind the complex
competence division on forests and forestry, and likelihood that the EU initiatives impacting forests and
the forest-based sector are projected to increase in near future, Cepi and its members suggest some key
principles and instruments to be included in the new strategy to strengthen the policy coherence
between the new EU Forest Strategy and 2050 Climate Strategy1 as well as the updated Bioeconomy
Strategy2. Furthermore, these tools would play a role in making the future strategy more meaningful and
ambitious than its predecessor.
During the last decades the European forest resources have increased in terms of forest coverage and
growing stock. Viable industries with continuing long-term investments in sustainable forest management
ensure healthy and resilience of forest ecosystems. Sustainability is at the core of the forest-based
industries. European multifunctional forests and sustainable management ensure the provision of the
ecosystem services e.g. raw material supply, clean air, water, biodiversity and improve the health and
resilience of forests that face a growing number threats (e.g. drought, forest fires, pests, floods, erosion)
caused by the climate change. Therefore, new EU Forest Strategy should
take into account the entire
forest-based value chain and provide the sector with appropriate tools to enhance its ability to
meet the growing demands of the societies. To achieve this it would be essential to strengthen the
cooperation of the actors involved and use the expertise stemming from the Standing Forestry
Committee, DG GROW expert group on forest-based industries and the Civil Dialogue Group on
Forestry and Cork.
The new EU Strategy should
build on the holistic concept of Sustainable Forest Management3
developed under the FOREST EUROPE process. Currently the definition, principles and criteria have
been embedded into national legislation and guidelines as well as voluntary systems such as forest
certification in place. However, different EU sectoral policies identified the need for a sustainability
framework and tempted to define criteria for it, partially in an inconsistent way.
1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52018DC0773&from=EN
2 https://ec.europa.eu/research/bioeconomy/pdf/ec_bioeconomy_strategy_2018.pdf#view=fit&pagemode=none
3 https://www.foresteurope.org/docs/MC/MC_helsinki_resolutionH1.pdf
Therefore, the new Forest Strategy should give a mandate to the Standing Forestry Committee to
establish the European risk-based approach and sustainability criteria for forest management
adopted in the recast of the Renewable Energy Directive as a non-end-use specific sustainability
system for forest biomass. The EU Forest Strategy should guide relevant EU policies in applying
the system as appropriate. This two-step approach to minimise the risk of using unsustainable forest
biomass respects the complex competence division of Member States and the EU as it comes to forests
and forestry.
Consequently, in the near future, the new EU Forest Strategy could encourage the European
Commission to conduct
fitness checks of the legislations already agreed to ensure that
contradicting policies hindering the development of the sector would be reviewed and possibly
revised. In the long-term, fostered cooperation on forestry could be enhanced via the
establishment
of e.g. pilot projects or preparatory actions to further develop existing networks such as the
Standing Forestry Committee and Civil Dialogue Group on Forestry and Cork. These pilots or actions
would improve knowledge on the possible impacts of strategic decisions affecting forests and the forest-
based sector.
Currently in the EU, approximately 65%4 of the forest growth is harvested, meaning that there is a
constant accumulation of biomass that could be sustainably used to enhance the development of the
circular bioeconomy across Europe. Keeping and attracting the investments in Europe is of utmost
importance as it comes to building green growth in Europe.
Fostering the knowledge-base on the
availability of forest resources with socio-economic indicators and science-based data on
biodiversity should be further developed as a part of the new EU Forest Strategy. This work should
build on the achievements of the last strategy in which the Forest Information System for Europe (FISE)
was established.
In order to implement the European Green Deal successfully, the new Forest Strategy should
focus on
the acknowledgement and the uptake of all climate benefits of the forests and the forest-based
sector. Too narrow focus on the sink function of forests undermines the other climate benefits, namely
the increased substitution of fossil-based materials and energy as well as further development of carbon
storage in forests and products. The recently published EU Forest-based industries vision 2050
describes sustainable pathways to a climate friendly future. New innovative materials and products have
a potential to contribute replacing traditional plastics in packaging and in other sectors. Cepi would like to
highlight that besides paper and board, e.g. wood-based textiles, bio-chemicals and other everyday
commodities can be done by the pulp and paper industry, in a sustainable, circular manner.
Cepi believes that by including the above mentioned instruments in the new strategy and/or its action
plan, the strategy would not only guide forest-related actions in all EU forest-related proposals but also
bring added value compared to the current strategy and its multiannual implementation plan (Forest
Map).
4 https://www.foresteurope.org/docs/fullsoef2015.pdf