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Agriculture & Environment​: Forests

The EU strategy represents a comprehensive approach to securing the future of Europe's forests, ensuring they continue to benefit the environment, economy, and society in the face of climate change.

Key Points of the EU strategy:

• Forests are vital for health, biodiversity, and climate change mitigation, offering essential resources like clean water, food, and medicines.
• Europe boasts significant forest coverage but faces challenges in maintaining biodiversity due to current management practices and pressures like pollution and urban expansion.
• The EU, sharing responsibilities with Member States in areas like environment and agriculture, emphasizes forest protection in line with the principle of subsidiarity, based on the Treaty of the Functioning of the EU.
• The EU Forest Strategy for 2030, a cornerstone of the European Green Deal, aims to increase forest quality and coverage while enhancing their protection, restoration, and resilience to climate change.

Forest Facts:

• Forests cover 45% of European land and host 80% of Earth’s biodiversity.
• 25% of the global population relies on forests for their livelihood.

​Objectives of the EU Forest Strategy for 2030:

• Safeguard forests and their ecosystem services.
• Plant at least 3 billion additional trees in the EU by 2030.
• Support the transition to a climate-neutral, resource-efficient economy.
• Promote vibrant rural communities and prevent global deforestation through responsible consumption within the EU.

​Forest facts
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• 45% of European land is forest
• 80% of Earth’s biodiversity is hosted by forests
• 25% of people depend on forests for subsistence and income

Deforestation

​The EU is committed to combating the deforestation crisis through comprehensive regulation, international cooperation, and sustainable practices. This initiative is part of a broader effort to protect global forests, combat climate change, and ensure biodiversity conservation.
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Over the past 30 years, the world has seen a loss of 10% of its forests, an area larger than the EU, due to deforestation. This rapid deforestation and forest degradation pose severe social, economic, and environmental threats globally.

The EU acknowledges its part in this crisis by consuming products linked to deforestation and commits to taking significant actions to reverse these effects.

EU Objectives and Strategies

1. Health and Expansion of Forests: The EU aims to enhance the health of existing forests, especially primary forests, and to significantly increase sustainable and biodiverse forest coverage worldwide.
2. Five Main Priorities:
   • Reduce the EU's consumption footprint on land and promote deforestation-free product supply chains.
   • Partner with producing countries to alleviate forest pressures.
   • Strengthen international cooperation to stop deforestation and encourage forest restoration.
   • Redirect finance towards sustainable land-use.
   • Improve the availability and quality of forest and supply chain information, and foster research and innovation.

​Key Regulations and Timeline
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• Regulation on Deforestation-free Products:
  • 9 June 2023: Publication of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on deforestation-free products
  • 29 June 2023: Regulation enters into force.
  • 30 December 2024: Regulation applies, aiming to ensure EU consumed products do not drive deforestation or forest degradation.
  • 30 June 2025: Regulation's application extends to Micro and Small undertakings.
• Historical Steps:
  • 23 July 2019: Adoption of the  2019 Commission Communication on Stepping up EU Action to Protect and Restore the World’s Forests.
  • November 2021: Proposal adoption for a Regulation on deforestation-free products, evaluating existing regulations and aiming to replace the EU Timber Regulation.

Implementation

​The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) represents a comprehensive approach to addressing global deforestation, leveraging partnerships, technology, and dedicated initiatives to ensure effective implementation and foster sustainable, deforestation-free supply chains.

The EU Deforestation Regulation is scheduled to take effect on 30 December 2024. Despite worldwide efforts to curb deforestation through various measures, the problem persists, significantly contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions.

EU's Commitment and Partnerships: The EU is dedicated to forming inclusive partnerships with countries around the world to tackle deforestation comprehensively. It aims to facilitate a smooth transition to deforestation-free supply chains through collaboration with producing countries and companies.


Key Implementation Tools and Initiatives

• Multi-Stakeholder Platform on Forests: Facilitates ongoing dialogue among EU Member States, trade and business associations, NGOs, third countries, and the European Commission to share best practices and work progress. Agendas, presentations and summary records of the meetings of the Platform
  (In the Register, select the “Meetings” tab)
  Member Organisations of the Platform
• EU Observatory on Deforestation: Utilizes existing monitoring tools like Copernicus to provide accessible information on global forest cover changes, supporting businesses, public entities, and consumers. Visit the Observatory
• Team Europe Initiative on Deforestation-free Value Chains: A collaborative effort aligned with the EU's Global Gateway strategy, supporting the transition to sustainable and legal agricultural value chains with an initial €70 million funding.
  • Zero Deforestation Hub: Coordinates information and projects related to deforestation-free value chains.
  • Sustainable Agriculture for Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) Project: Operates in several countries, focusing on sustainable practices and expansion plans to additional nations.
  • Technical Facility on Deforestation-free Value Chains: Offers technical support to producing countries, emphasizing geolocation and traceability for smallholders.

See more about the Team Europe Initiative

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​Information System for Regulation Compliance

• An IT system will contain due diligence statements from operators and traders, with pilot testing running until the end of January.
• The Commission will provide training and resources in the summer of 2024 to prepare stakeholders for the regulation's application.

Forest monitoring

Forests are crucial for climate change response, biodiversity, health, water resilience, and the bioeconomy. Despite their importance, current information on European forests can be incomplete or outdated.

Law Proposal: The European Commission has introduced a proposal for a Regulation COM(2023) 728 final on a new law focused on establishing a monitoring framework for resilient European forests. This initiative seeks to provide open access to comprehensive, precise, and timely information on the status and trends of EU forests. It aims to enhance the existing Forest Information System for Europe (FISE) and leverage national systems and monitoring schemes.
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Since 2007, when the Forest Focus Regulation expired, there have not been any harmonised EU forest reporting requirements. There is consequently no comparable and consistent information on the status of forests in the EU. The lack of harmonised data in certain areas does constitutes a major risk for EU forests, EU policy monitoring and the achievement of climate, biodiversity, rural development and sustainable bio-economy objectives.



Objectives of the Proposal:

• Develop a thorough knowledge base on forests to enable EU countries, forest owners, and managers to take informed actions towards ensuring forest resilience.
• Improve data and knowledge for policymaking and implementation, particularly concerning natural disturbances and forest disasters.

Legislative Process:

• The proposed Regulation is currently under review by the European Parliament and the Council.

Forest Information System for Europe (FISE):

• FISE serves as the first common database on forest information in Europe, offering specialized information to a wide range of stakeholders, including policymakers, experts in the forest industry, forest owners, conservationists, scientists, and researchers.
• It integrates data from the EU’s Earth observation and monitoring program,  Copernicus, among other sources.

Supporting Studies and Publications:

• The EU supports the monitoring framework through various studies and publications, including reports on remote sensing of forests, the state of nature, the use of woody biomass for energy, ecosystem assessments, and the state of Europe's forests.

The EU's proposed law on forest monitoring signifies a critical step towards achieving resilient European forests by ensuring access to accurate and up-to-date forest information. This initiative will bolster forest management, policymaking, and the overall sustainability of forests within the EU.

Forest fires

The EU has implemented comprehensive actions to monitor and prevent forest fires and restore affected areas. These efforts are underpinned by strategic planning, technological tools, expert guidance, and financial support, aiming to mitigate the impact of wildfires and enhance the resilience of European forests against future threats.

Frequent Wildfires in Europe:
Wildfires have become increasingly common across Europe, with significant adverse effects on nature, biodiversity, human lives, and the economy. The changing climate exacerbates the risk, leading to more prolonged and severe wildfires.

Statistics from 2021:

• Forest fires were experienced by 22 out of 27 EU countries.
• Over 5,500 km² of EU land was burned, including more than 1,000 km² in protected areas.

EU Forest Strategy for 2030: The strategy emphasizes enhanced fire prevention and improving the climate resilience of forests. It supports managing vegetation and reducing ground fuel to aid firefighting efforts.

Adaptation and Mitigation Measures:

• The EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change (March 2021) stresses the need for quicker, smarter, and more systemic adaptation methods.
• The proposed Nature Restoration Law aims to reduce the vulnerability of forests to fires and drought through diverse tree species distribution and agroforestry measures.

Tools and Mechanisms for Wildfire Management:

• European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS): Offers current, accurate wildfire data in Europe.
• Expert Group on Forest Fires: Assists the Commission in analyzing forest fire trends and formulating effective responses.
• EU Civil Protection Mechanism & rescEU: Provide pan-European crisis assistance, including a reserve of firefighting aircraft.
• Emergency Response Coordination Centre: Monitors forest fire risks and emergencies, supported by EFFIS and other services.

​Funding and Support:

• EU Solidarity Fund: Offers rapid, effective, and flexible aid for disaster-stricken countries or regions.
• LIFE Programme: Allocates funding for environmental and climate actions, including forest fire prevention.
• Support for Rural Development: Backs forest restoration and fire prevention efforts through regulatory support.

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Forestation

The European Union has set an ambitious target to plant 3 billion additional trees by 2030, as part of its comprehensive plan to enhance nature's protection and restoration. The 3 Billion Trees Pledge is not just about planting trees but is part of a broader EU strategy to improve forest quality and quantity, ensuring sustainable management and resilience against climate change. This effort calls for widespread participation and conscientious planting, emphasizing the role of trees in urban areas and the importance of choosing species that benefit the ecosystem.

The Need for Collective Action:
Achieving this goal requires the cooperation of everyone—individuals, landowners, nurseries, associations, companies, and public bodies. The success of this pledge relies on widespread participation and grassroots initiatives to ensure the planted trees are nurtured and allowed to grow over time.

​Progress and Impact:

• Annually, the world loses about 10 million hectares of forest.
• Since 2021, an additional 15 million trees have been planted as part of this initiative, potentially removing 15 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere annually by 2050.

How to Contribute:

• Planting Trees: Individuals and organizations are encouraged to plant trees and shrubs anywhere possible and register them through the dedicated app or platform.  Register your tree. Organisations planting trees can report them here.
• Promoting and Supporting Urban Greening: Advocating for more green spaces in urban areas, including parks, green roofs, and urban gardens, which also contribute to the overall goal. Report a planting location
• Choosing the Right Trees: It's essential to plant the right species in suitable locations to ensure the trees contribute positively to biodiversity and climate goals, avoiding areas of high natural value and invasive species.

Benefits of Planting More Trees:

• Mitigating climate change by absorbing CO2.
• Enhancing urban areas by reducing the Urban Heat Island effect.
• Providing habitats for biodiversity.
• Preventing floods and droughts through better water management.
• Protecting and enriching the soil.
• Offering economic benefits through ecosystem services.
• Improving agricultural practices and yields.

Project Monitoring and Support:

• The initiative includes a long-term planning and monitoring scheme to ensure the trees thrive.
• The European Commission, with the support of the European Environmental Agency, oversees the progress through the "Map My Tree" platform and offers political, technical, and communication support.

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