NEW FOREST STRATEGY A STEP BACKWARD OR A STEP FORWARD?

Dr. Peri KourakliForest Task Force Coordinator

Birdlife Europe

Joint meeting of the EU Standing Forestry Committee and the EU Advisory Group on Forestry and Cork

For the discussed report, read here: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/fore/publi/sfc_wg7_2012_full_en.pdf

Who we are

BirdLife International Largest global 90-year old partnership of

conservation organisations

Conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources

Hellenic Ornithological Society is the Greek partner; established in 1982

Good elements of the Report

The Strategy is entitled as “Forest Strategy” instead of “Forestry Strategy”

The long- vision is in the right direction; connecting this Strategy to other EU Strategies, while the multifunctional role of forests is highlighted (although it is strange that the vision in under bullets, as if the vision has no link)

It is discussing in a logical order almost all of the strategic priorities and objectives for social, environmental & economic aspects of the forests

We are concern since:

Although multifuctionality within forests has stated as a prerequisite, it does not describe how this can be achieved

The Report does not include, or make provision for the evaluation of the previous Forest Action Plan

Connection to EU Strategies: 2020 Strategy: Although the

principle of “growth” is included, the principles of “reduce consumption” or “resource’s efficiency” is lacking

It does not effectively analyse the existing EU Strategies related to forests. This is more obvious in the case of 2020 Biodiversity Strategy

We are concern since:

We are concern since:

It doesn’t provide any analysis on the EU Funds allocated for forests , therefore not enough information on the budget spend for all forest services. Is subsidiary already included in the EU Budget? (This is more obvious in the chapter “Resources for implementation”)

Statements regarding biodiversity or other ecosystem services had references, while several statements for other forest services were unsupported

We are concern since:

Sustainable Forest Management/ SFM It does not provide any tools,

guidelines or suggestions on this concept (only links with FOREST EUROPE’s decisions)

It is not delegating responsibility for this to the new Forest Action Plan

Example:It does not determine how the basic levels of

SFM will be determined or how they are going to be monitored afterwards 8//19

We are concern since:

Forest Package

Forest Strategy

Forest Action Plan

Communication on the wood-processing industry and related value chains which aims to address the challenges and opportunities of different value chains that have wood, wholly or partially, as a raw

material, including construction.

We are concern since:

Social function: missing the concept of “civil protection”; both as a tool of supporting local societies and as following of the EU Decisions on establishing mechanisms to facilitate reinforced cooperation in civil protection assistance interventions (2001/792/EC & 2007/779/EC)

Forest Information: It states that there is common info system in EU The role-contribution of EUROSTAT &ICP Forests in

forest info is missing It includes recommendations but there are no final

decisions from EU & MS

We are concern since:

Coherence and Coordination: It is rather conservative and general on

recommendations among EU & national policies. If analyses on EU forest related Strategies, EU forest funds allocation and previous Forest Action Plan were included, it could be more specific and effective.

HOW: Possible options & instruments/Policy options: The suggestions of this chapter are arbitrary and

need to be supported by strong arguments.

We are concern since:

Monitoring and Evaluation”: It doesn’t provide measureable

targets or indicators. It delegates to the new Forest Action Plan them

Strategy must stated clearly that Action Plan will include well-defined and measurable indicators

Places mid evaluation on 2020, which gives no time for correctional actions

THANK YOUPKOURAKLI@ORNITHOLOGIKI.GR

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