Sittings · Document
On the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Decision 89/367/EEC setting up a Standing Forestry Committee
Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development · Rapporteur: Emma Wiesner, Pekka Toveri
DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION
on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Decision 89/367/EEC setting up a Standing Forestry Committee
(COM(2023)0727 – C90424/2023 – 2023/0410(COD))
(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2023)0727),
– having regard to Article 294(2) and Articles 43 and Article 192(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C90424/2023),
– having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
– having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 20 March 2024,
– having regard to Rule 60 of its Rules of Procedure,
– having regard to the report of the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety and the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A100000/2025),
1. Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;
2. Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;
3. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.
Amendment 1
Proposal for a decision
Recital 1 a (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (1a) The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union makes no reference to a common Union forest policy, and responsibility for forests lies with the Member States. However, the Union has certain shared competences on environmental and climate issues, which can include initiatives affecting forests and forestry. |
Or. en
Amendment 2
Proposal for a decision
Recital 2
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (2) The wider contribution of forests to the objectives set out in the Commission Communication of 11 December 2019 entitled ‘the European Green Deal’ 4 , including to climate, biodiversity and sustainable bioeconomy necessitates a more inclusive and better coordinated Union forest governance structure that reflects all the objectives of the Commission Communication of 16 July 2021 entitled ‘New EU Forest Strategy for 2030’ 5 and their interlinkages. | (2) The contribution of forests to the objectives set out in the Commission Communication of 11 December 2019 entitled ‘the European Green Deal’ 4 , including to climate, biodiversity and bioeconomy necessitates a coordinated Union forest governance structure that reflects, inter alia, the objectives of the Commission Communication of 16 July 2021 entitled ‘New EU Forest Strategy for 2030’ 5 and their interlinkages. |
| __________________ | __________________ |
| 4 COM(2019)640 final. | 4 COM(2019)640 final. |
| 5 COM(2021)527 final. | 5 COM(2021)527 final. |
Or. en
Amendment 3
Proposal for a decision
Recital 2 a (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (2a) The Standing Forestry Committee has since its establishment evolved into a central body for exchange of information among Member States and with the Commission on all aspects relating to forests, forest management and all forest-related policy areas. The Standing Forestry Committee has previously also been given comitology tasks, but the basic act conferring comitology tasks on the Committee has since expired. Although the Standing Forestry Committee is de facto an expert group, it should keep its name as a “Committee” and continue working as the Commission’s central coordinating body with Member States. |
Or. en
Amendment 4
Proposal for a decision
Recital 4
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (4) The most effective way of achieving a more inclusive and better coordinated Union forest governance structure is to broaden the scope and clarify the tasks and the composition of the Standing Forestry Committee. The Standing Forestry Committee should also be renamed as the Standing Forest and Forestry Expert Group, in order to reflect those amendments. At the request of the Commission or of a Member State, it should address any issue or aspect concerning forests and forestry arising from various Union policies. It is therefore appropriate to ensure that Member States nominate representatives from the authorities that are competent for the specific policy objectives. | deleted |
Or. en
Amendment 5
Proposal for a decision
Recital 4 a (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (4a) At the request of the Commission or of a Member State, the Standing Forestry Committee should address any aspect concerning forests and forestry arising from various Union policies. It is therefore appropriate that participating representatives can represent the Member States interests on all relevant policy objectives. |
Or. en
Justification
The point of this paragraph should be to ensure that the representative can speak on behalf of the different authorities objectives affected by a proposal, not that all authorities are represented.
Amendment 6
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Decision 89/367/EEC
Title
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| Council Decision 89/367/EEC of 29 May 1989 setting up a Standing Forest and Forestry Expert Group; | ‘Council Decision 89/367/EEC of 29 May 1989 setting up an Expert Group called the ‘Standing Committee on Forest and Forestry’ |
Or. en
Amendment 7
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 1
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| In order to ensure a reinforced cooperation and multidisciplinary exchange between the Commission and the Member States on forests and the forestry sector in relation to all forest-relevant Union policy areas, a Standing Forest and Forestry Expert Group, hereinafter referred to as “the expert group”, is hereby set up.; | In order to ensure close cooperation between the Commission and the Member States on forests and the forestry sector in relation to all forest- relevant Union policy areas, an expert group called the Standing Committee on Forest and Forestry (the ‘Committee’), is hereby set up.’ |
Or. en
Amendment 8
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 2 – paragraph 1
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| 1. The Commission may consult the expert group on any issue or aspect concerning forests and forestry arising from the various Union policies either on its own initiative or at the request of the representative of a Member State. | 1. The Commission shall consult the Committee on any issue or aspect concerning forests and forestry arising from the various Union policies either on its own initiative or at the request of the representative of a Member State. |
Or. en
Amendment 9
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| 2. In particular, the expert group’s tasks shall be: | 2. In particular, the Committee’s tasks shall be: |
Or. en
Amendment 10
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point a
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (a) to assist the Commission in the preparation of legislative proposals, guidelines or other Union policy initiatives relevant to forests and forestry, including in the implementation of the New EU Forest Strategy for 2030 and subsequent Union Forest Strategies; | (a) to assist the Commission in the preparation of legislative proposals, strategies, guidelines or other Union policy initiatives relevant to forests and forestry, or that would have significant impact on forests or forestry within the Union. |
Or. en
Amendment 11
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point b
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (b) to provide the Commission with advice and expertise, either on the initiative of the Commission or at the request of a Member State, with a view to supporting the wider contribution of forests and forestry to key Union objectives and initiatives, such as the European Green Deal, and to promoting coherence and synergies between Union policies relevant to forests and forestry; | (b) to provide the Commission with advice and expertise, either on the initiative of the Commission or the Committee, or at the request of a Member State, with a view to supporting the contribution of forests and forestry to Union objectives and initiatives, to promoting coherence and synergies between Union policies, and address their cumulative impact and assess their compatibility with the subsidiarity principle; |
Or. en
Amendment 12
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point d
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (d) to foster the exchange of knowledge, experience and good practices in the field of forests and forestry. | (d) to foster the exchange of knowledge, experience and good practices, as well as acting as a forum for exchange of views on emerging issues and initiatives in the field of forests and forestry, including the wider forest-based sector; |
Or. en
Amendment 13
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point d a (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (da) to seek and cooperate on synergies and avoid overlaps between national and Union policies related to forests and forestry, also taking into account other international developments; |
Or. en
Amendment 14
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point d b (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (db) to formulate opinions on legislative proposals, strategies, guidelines or other Union policy initiatives relevant to forests and forestry, or that would have significant impact on forests or forestry within the Union; the Commission takes those opinions in consideration when advancing forest-related policy objectives, and provides feedback on how it considered those opinions. |
Or. en
Amendment 15
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 2 – paragraph 3
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| 3. The European Parliament and the Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission, may assign other tasks to the expert group in connection with Union policies affecting forests and forestry.; | 3. The European Parliament and the Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission, may assign other tasks to the Committee in connection with Union policies affecting forests and forestry.; |
Or. en
Amendment 16
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 3 – paragraph 1
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| The expert group shall be composed of representatives of the Member States. | The Committee shall be composed of representatives of the Member States. |
Or. en
Amendment 17
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 3 – paragraph 2
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| Member States shall nominate their representatives, ensuring participation of the authorities that are competent for the different policy objectives of the New EU Forest Strategy for 2030, including inter alia climate, forest health, environment, forestry, rural development and bioeconomy and any subsequent Union forest strategies. | Member States shall nominate their representatives ensuring that participating representatives can represent their respective Member State’s interests on all relevant policy objectives. |
Or. en
Amendment 18
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 3 – paragraph 3
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| The expert group shall be chaired by a representative of the Commission. | The Committee shall be chaired by a representative of the Commission. |
Or. en
Amendment 19
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 3 – paragraph 3 a (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| Representatives from the Directorates-General of the Commission and relevant agencies shall be involved in the preparation of the meeting agenda, based on their relevance. |
Or. en
Amendment 20
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 3 – paragraph 4
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| The expert group's secretariat shall be provided by the Commission. | The Committee's secretariat shall be provided by the Commission. |
Or. en
Amendment 21
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 3 – paragraph 5
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| The expert group shall adopt its own rules of procedure. | The Committee shall adopt its own rules of procedure. |
Or. en
ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEURS HAVE RECEIVED INPUT
Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteurs declare that they received input from the following entities or persons in the preparation of the draft report:
| Entity and/or person |
| WWF - World Wildlife Found |
| LRF - Lantbrukarnas Riksförbund |
| CEPF - Confederation of European Forest Owners |
| The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) |
| Finnish Forest Industries Federation |
The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteurs.
Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteurs declare that they have submitted to the concerned natural persons the European Parliament's Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.