New EU monitoring framework to protect health of Europe's forests - EUbusiness.com

Forests – Photo by Murat Halici on Pexels

(BRUSSELS) – The European Commission proposed Wednesday a Forest Monitoring Law to help EU states and forest owners improve their response to growing pressures on forests and strengthen forest resilience.

Better monitoring will enable action to make forests more resistant to the cross-border threats of pests, droughts and wildfires, says the EU executive. It will also enable new business models such as carbon farming, and support compliance with agreed EU legislation. It will help strengthen the capacity of forests to fulfil their multiple environmental and socio-economic functions, says the Commission, including their role as natural carbon sinks.

“Forests are some of the most precious resources we have and the green lungs of our planet,” said Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius: “The resilience of our forests is one of our most important allies in the fight against climate change and to protect biodiversity.”

The monitoring framework will enable the collection and sharing of timely and comparable forest data obtained through a combination of Earth Observation technology and ground measurements. Building on existing national efforts, the framework will offer better data and knowledge for decision making and policy implementation, including more up-to-date information on natural disturbances and forest disasters across Member States.

The framework will help to create an integrated forest governance, by ensuring cooperation among Member States, and by encouraging them to set up long-term forest plans, taking into account all the relevant policy dimensions and the multi-functionality of forests. The proposal does not introduce new direct administrative requirements for businesses, forest owners and foresters.

The proposal comes in the context of increasing pressures on forests, reported in a Commission publication ‘Forest Fires in Europe, Middle East and North Africa 2022’.