Ref. Ares(2022)5578775 - 04/08/2022
From:
CEI-BOIS | Silvia Melegari <xxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx>
Sent:
jeudi 7 avril 2022 12:36
To:
CAB TIMMERMANS CONTACT
Cc:
BRAUN Helena (CAB-TIMMERMANS); SAMSOM Diederik (CAB-
TIMMERMANS); Ulrich Leberle - Cepi
Subject:
Nature Restoration Law: a tool for making European forests
resilient to climate change, healthy and productive
Follow Up Flag:
Follow up
Flag Status:
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Nature Restoration Law: a tool for making European forests resilient to climate change, healthy and
productive
Dear Executive Vice President,
Dear Mr Timmermans,
In the near future, the European Commission is expected to publish a new legislative proposal on nature
restoration. In this framework, the European woodworking industries and the European pulp and paper
industries urge the European Commission to
launch an accurate assessment of the impact this new
proposal will have on the raw material supply for the European forest-based industries and list
feasible measures to avoid shortage of wood raw materials for our sector.
The European wood processing industries are heavily dependent on European raw material supply in
absence of any available alternative to European timber quality (for economic, logistic, and technical
properties). At the same time, the sector offers a unique example of an integrated industrial ecosystem
where materials, by-products and residues are supplied across the various parts of the value chain, to
make the most efficient use of resources, including through recycling. This is one of the strengths of the
forest-based industries, which contributes to developing a resilient, circular, and bio-based EU economy.
At the same time, none of the European Green Deal initiatives – which strongly affect the use of forest
resources - have so far assessed their possible implications on the European forestry value chain, in
particular the supply of logs, which is the first essential step.
The European forest-based industries (including furniture and bioenergy) represent around 420.000
enterprises with a total turnover of over 520 billion euros and support almost 4 million green jobs in
communities across Europe. These are jobs that often represent a critical source of employment in rural
and northern communities where there are few other industries. European wood and wood products
are globally recognised as coming from forests that are responsibly and sustainably managed.
Furthermore, the forestry sector can play a key role in the EU’s transition to a green, climate-neutral,
and competitive circular bioeconomy: currently wood is the best example of a sustainable,
environmentally friendly material. The European forest-based industries are also recognised as
innovators and leaders in the global timber industry.
Healthy, resilient and productive European forests are essential for our sector. Although the area of
forests in Europe has increased by 9% over the last 30 years, climate change already directly and
indirectly affects the growth and productivity of our forests through changes in temperature, rainfall,
weather and other factors. In addition, elevated levels of carbon dioxide have an effect on tree growth.
These changes influence complex forest ecosystems in many ways and have a big impact on raw
material supply. Additionally, climate change alters the frequency and intensity of forest disturbances
such as insect outbreaks, invasive species, wildfires and storms. These disturbances can reduce forest
productivity and change the distribution of tree species.
The Nature Restoration Law should be a tool that favours exchange of knowledge, guidance and best
practices among Member States in order to tackle the impact of climate change on our forest resources
and ensure our forests will continue to provide economic, environmental and social benefits. The
existence of local wood processing industries also plays an important role when natural disturbances
take place. Between 2017 and 2019, over 270 million m3 of drought-weakened standing forests in
Central Europe have been felled by windstorms and spruce bark beetles. Several lumber companies in
the region added sawmill capacity and/or built greenfield sawmills playing an essential role in reducing
the risk of further bark beetle propagation. From this, we can conclude that
government, regional and
local communities, forest owners and local wood processing industries need to be fully involved in the
identification of acceptable solutions for reducing future forest losses and aiding recovery from natural
hazards.
We are firmly of the view that we can further restore our forests whilst ensuring the continuity of
sustainable wood raw material supply, in part by sharing existing best practices more widely amongst
Member States.
However, given the situation outlined above, we would like to request a meeting to discuss how we can
best instigate an impact assessment that will ensure that the Nature Restoration Law does not directly
or inadvertently reduce the availability of wood raw materials on the European market in such a way as
to undermine the European forest-based industries’ ability to help deliver a net zero EU by 2050.
Yours Sincerely ,
Silvia Melegari
Silvia Melegari Secretary General
__________________________________________________
European Confederation of Woodworking Industries
Rue Montoyer 24, 1000 Brussels Mob.: + 32 492 697 998 xxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx Follow us on our Website and Social Media Channels:
