Source: European Parliament
On 18 February, in a joint ENVI-AGRI committee meeting, Members will consider the draft reports on two forest related proposals, namely : on a monitoring framework for resilient European forests, and on updating the Standing Forestry Committee.
The legislative proposal on a forest observation, reporting and data collection framework was announced in the new EU forest strategy for 2030 with the aim to establish an EU-wide integrated forest monitoring framework. The draft report proposes several changes, including stressing that the European monitoring system should focus on complementing the work of National Forest Inventories.
Since 1989, the Standing Forestry Committee ensures cooperation in the forestry sector between the Member States and the Commission. In 2019, to facilitate the European Green Deal and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Commission established the Working Group Forest and Nature. As part of this new governance structure, the proposal aims to update the legal bases, rename the Standing Forestry Committee, and extend its tasks. The draft report proposes to retain the existing name, while expanding its advisory role and stressing the importance of Member States autonomy in nominating representatives.