46 Amendments of Thomas WAITZ related to 2022/2016(INI)
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24 a (new)
Citation 24 a (new)
— having regard to the report "Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability" of the Working group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24 b (new)
Citation 24 b (new)
— having regard to the Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU has set the binding targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 % by 2030 and reaching climate neutrality by 2050; whereas the EU is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement; whereas forests and forest-based industries will play a major role in achieving these SDGs and Paris Agreement targets, while also being major hosts of biodiversity;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas Europe’s forests are of immense value in terms of climate mitigation; whereas forest ecosystems store the equivalent of around 10 % of Europe's greenhouse gas emissions 1a; whereas this storage potential can be increased; whereas, however, in many cases these sinks are deteriorating, and some forests have even become net emitters; _________________ 1a 2016 EEA report on 'European forest ecosystems -state and trends'
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas in order to help tackle the biodiversity loss and climate crises, it is essential that forests are protected, restored and managed in such a way as to maximise their capacity for carbon storage, mitigation of extreme climate events and biodiversity protection;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the TFEU makes no reference to a common EU forest policy; whereas Article 4 TFEU provides for a shared competence on environmental policy; whereas due to the specific diversity of the EU’s forests with regard to bio-geography, structure, size, biodiversity and ownership patterns, where environmental policy touches upon forests, it is necessary to duly apply the principle of subsidiarity and proportionality in the development and implementation of the new EU forest strategy (the strategy) and relevant EU legislation;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the principle of the European Green Deal as a cross-cutting approach to tackle the climate and environmental challenges, ensuring nature and biodiversity can be protected, in a way that creates sustainable growth and jobs in a resource-efficient, emission-free, circular and competitive economy should guide the implementation of the strategy in managing trade-offs, creating synergies and finding the right balance between the multiple functions of forests including the socioeconomic, environmental and climate functions;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas about 60 % of the EU’s forests are owned by 16 million private forest owners, of whom a significant share are small-holders; whereas few forest owners concentrate a significant share of forest surfaces, some of them owning the main EU wood processing plants; whereas involving and motivating these owners through a comprehensive policy and legislative framework, based on the recognition of their property rights, experience as managers and specific challenges, will be key to achieving the strategy’s targets, including the provision of climate and other ecosystem services;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas most recent data gathered under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive indicates that only 4915 % of forests habitats have a good conservation status1a; whereas focusing solely on aggregated data might be insufficient to identify and address key information on the most urgent issues and it is therefore necessary to consult more specific indicators on trends in condition and pressures; whereas these indicators do not support an overall negative assessment of the state of the EU’s forests, but show both positive and negative tr; whereas forestry and agriculture activities represendts that require nuancede main causes of degradation of forests habitat; _________________ 1a EEA, 2020, State of nature in the EU - Results from responses; rting under the nature directives 2013-2018,
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
E b. whereas, according to the European Environment Agency's report on 'The European Environment - state and outlook 2020', long term trends in bird populations, including common forest birds, demonstrate that Europe has experienced a massive decline in biodiversity, of which intensive forest management is one of the drivers;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
E c. whereas data available on forests at EU level is incomplete and of varying quality, which hampers EU and Member State coordination of forest management and conservation; Whereas in particular, there needs to be a better monitoring of forest ecosystems status, as well as of the impacts on biodiversity and climate of forestry measures;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the new EU forest strategy and its ambition to increase the balanced contribution of multi-functional forests to the targets of the Green Deal, and in particular of the EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy, and of achieving a circular economy and climate neutrality by 2050;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Recognises that climate change is altering the growth capacity of forests in some areas, and increasing the frequency and seriousness of drought, floods and fires as well as fostering the development of new pests and diseases which affect forests; notes that intact ecosystems have greater capability to overcome environmental stressors, including changes to climate, than degraded ones as they have inherent properties that enable them to maximize their adaptive capacity;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises that the EU’s forests are characterised by diverse natural conditions, ownership patterns, forms of governance, challenges and opportunities, and that they have been formed by centuries ofmost of them are characterised by centuries of human intervention and management; stresses that primary forests and old-growth forests are forested areas that have developed through natural processes with little or no human intervention and management;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recognises the complexity of assessing the state of forests, as well as the uneven availability and quality of data and therefore stresses the need for continuous policy and, scientific dialogue and increased financing at all levels to improve data collection and harmonisation;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines that the strategy must align withnotably take into account the work undertaken in international forums, such as FOREST EUROPE and the Food and Agriculture Organization, and should avoid duplicating work; further believes that, given the EU’s strong commitment to protecting biodiversity and carbon sinks and promoting the sustainable use of resources globally, the strategy should be implemented in such a way as to monitor ongoing actions nationally and to serve as a model of best practices;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that to deliver on its various objectives, the implementation of the strategy must be fit-for-purpose at the regional and local levels, including by adapting the implementation to local conditions and experiences, and by providing stakeholders with necessary skills; notes that it must be based on the full recognition of propertthe polluters pay prightsnciple and of an economically viable forestry sector, as key contributors to providing forests’ various services and improving resilience;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recognises the key role of forests in protecting the climate and biodiversity; underlines that the multi-functional role of forests, which only close to nature management can fulfil, comprises multiple socioeconomic functions, such as the provision of raw materialson top of storing and sequestrating carbon and hosting biodiversity, such as the provision of raw materials as well as non extractive economic activities including sustainable eco-tourism, which leads to jobs and economic growth in rural areas, the provision of clean water and air, protection against natural hazards and recreational value; stresses that the implementation of the strategy must ensure a balanced provision of all services and maintain competitiveness and innovation; underlines that the successful provision of services requires sustainable active management;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses that forests contribute to climate change mitigation via carbon sequestration, carbon storage and the substitution of wood and wood products for fossil fuels and derived products;, notes that the strategy has aably for long-lived products; welcomes the particular focus of the strategy on storage in the construction sector and believes its implementation should support a broader use of different options for substitution, in line with the goals of the bioeconomy strategy; other options for substitution should only be supported if they are in line with the cascading principle and the waste hierarchy1a, in line with the goals of the bioeconomy strategy; stresses the need to reduce the EU's consumption in general, and also of wood and wood-based products by promoting a more circular economy; welcomes the establishment of a methodology to quantify the climate benefits of wood construction; _________________ 1a Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Highlights that for wood-based products to contribute optimally to climate change mitigation and a circular economy requires that they be used in the most efficient and sustainable way; believes that the cascading principle8 is a good guideline for efficient use, but must not use a static approach and therefore must be adjusted regularly to reflect innovative uses; stresses that a well- functioning, un- distorted market can incentivises the efficient and sustainable use of wood-based resources with the right regulations to ensure the protection of the environment; _________________ 8 As outlined in the Commission’s ‘Guidance on cascading use of biomass with selected good practice examples on woody biomass’.
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Underlines the importance of a reliable and sustainable supply of wood, wood-based products and sustainable forest-based biomass, used and produced respecting the cascading principle, to achieve the EU’s sustainability goals and notes that the demand is expected to continue to grow; believes that the EU’s forestry sector can provide the most sustainably sourced raw materials using closer to nature approaches; calls on the Commission to consider displacement effects and monitor any effects on the availability of wood following the implementation of measures under the strategy;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recalls that 2.1 million people work in the forest-based sector, while the extended forest-based value chain supports 4 million jobs in the green economy; calls on the Commission and the Member States to assess the effects of a shift in the balance of forest functions on the overall employment situationnotes that employment in the forestry sector declined by 33% between 2000 and 2015 mainly due to mechanisation, while wood extraction was increasing; calls on the Commission and the Member States to assess the economic benefits of a closer to nature approach including the direct and indirect jobs it can create;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Takes note ofWelcomes the Commission’s announcement on developing additional voluntary indicators and threshold values for sustainable forest management; underlines the need to align the Commission’s work with that of FOREST EUROPE andindicators and threshold values for sustainable forest management; whereas these indicators and thresholds should clearly indicate, at forest stand level or at least at landscape level, whether a forest is being managed sustainably or not, thereby allowing comparisons between different management approaches, their impact and the overall state of EU forests, allowing a distinction to be made between healthy forests and degraded ones, and to determine which restoration efforts have been successful; calls for the development of the SFM criteria to include concrete benchmarks and thresholds on, for example, the amount of dead wood, the amount of forests managed in accordance with close-to-nature forestry and, in general, the use of low impact silviculture; underlines the need for the Commission’s work to build on the existing work of stakeholders, including the Food and Agriculture Organization, as well as to engage with the Member States to ensure that indicators and value ranges are fit-for-purpose for their application at the local level under specific bio- geographic conditions;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Highlights that pressure on forests from natural disasters and other disturbances is being increasingly intensified by climate change and that strengthening forests’ resilience is a matter of urgency; notes the role that restoration and afproforestation can play in strengthening resilience and enhancing biodiversity; notes that sustainable forest management consists of a broad array of actions and adaptive practices, many of which can play a key role in climate mitigation in particular supporting forests in becoming old-growths;
Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Takes note ofWelcomes the ongoing work on guidance for ‘closer-to-nature’ forestry guidelines by the Working Group on Forests and Nature; urges that these guidelines set a high standard for ecosystem-based forestry practices that the EU can award with a quality label similar to the organic label whilst ensuring that there is no risk of greenwashing existing practices that undermine the EU's climate and biodiversity objectives; believes that to ensure added value, guidanceelines on this concept should incorporate results- oriented, scientifically and locally proven sustainable forest management practices to give managers the tools to yield connections and cooperation on better integrating biodiversity protection with improved management practices; tools and instruments to support managers in better integrating biodiversity protection into sustainable forest management and to foster multifunctional and resilient forests;
Amendment 348 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Recognises that almost all primary forests have been lost and expresses concern at illegal logging, including in protected zones such as Natura 2000 areas, in the EU; recognises that not only are forests at threat, but that there has been violence towards forest rangers, local communities in connection with illegal logging; urges the Commission and the Member States to take urgent action on these issues through close monitoring and through the enforcement of existing EU laws and the introduction of new measures to prevent illegal logging, to hold those responsible to account, and to end the oppression of rangers;
Amendment 360 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Amendment 362 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Highlights that some forests are more at risk than others due to their specific bio-geographic conditions; highlights that forests should not be drained as it is a disaster both for biodiversity and for the Climate; insists furthermore that no wetlands or peatlands should be drained for afforestation; points out additionally the particular care that needs to be taken to avoid erosion in forests situated in mountainous areas;
Amendment 365 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16d. Notes that multi-age, multi-species forests with a continuous cover which are managed according to biodiversity protection criteria are more resilient to climate impacts such as fires, droughts, and unseasonal weather events, and as such are an important investment for the future, not only for communities and nature, but also for forest economies further notes that there is evidence that they produce more, higher quality and more economically valuable wood; Insists that mono-cultures, which are less resilient to pests and diseases as well as to drought, wind, storms and fires, should not be supported by EU funds;
Amendment 368 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 e (new)
Paragraph 16 e (new)
16e. Welcomes that the Commission will review, complement and update the Taxonomy Climate Delegate Act technical screening criteria for forestry and bioenergy to reflect developments under the Forest Strategy; calls for problematic forest management practices, such as large and medium clear-cuts or uprooting of roots or the use of heavy, soil- compacting and -degrading machinery to be listed as harmful in the Taxonomy;
Amendment 385 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes that the European agricultural fund for rural development is the main source of support for forestry measures; further notes that between 2014 and 2020, Member States only spent 49 % of the available funds, and that the Commission has identified administrative burden, insufficient attractiveness of the premiums and a lack of advisory services as reasons for this low usage; urges the Commission to ensure that Member States provide for Payment for Ecosystem Services schemes related to forest ecosystems (air, carbon removal, climate change adaptation, water, wellbeing of local population, etc.) in their CAP strategic plans and in the operational programmes under the relevant funds(rural development and cohesion); emphasises that such funds should not allow for continued emissions in other sectors;
Amendment 406 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Points out that the forestry sector operates primarily as a market-based sector; stresses that putting a stronger emphasis on other ecosystem services should not lead to an increased dependency on subsidies and encourages the Commission and Member States to further pursue the development of market- based payment for ecosystem services schemes, such as carbon farmbe managed both through appropriate subsidies and the development of payment schemes for work that supports biodiversity objectives, such as data collection and monitoring;
Amendment 411 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Acknowledges the important contribution of existing certification schemes to the further uptake of sustainable forest management; takes note ofwelcomes the Commission’s announcement on developing a ‘closer-to-nature’ certification scheme; encourages the Commission to cooperate with and learn from existing certification schemes and believes that to create added value, the certification must offer foresters a price premium for the provision of ecosystem services; reward higher ambitions for biodiversity protection and ensuring multifunctionality and resilience of forests; underlines however that current private certification systems do not necessarily provide a guarantee that forests are managed sustainably, as shown by the recent decision by the Finnish regional control authorities (ELY) to leave the working group on private certification due to the inability of the certification scheme to ensure sustainable forestry; notes that voluntary certification can only be a step towards the development of a more sustainable forest management in the EU and that the most harmful management practices should be excluded from all EU schemes and policies;
Amendment 428 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Highlights that to unlock the full potential of forests to contribute to climate and circular economy targets, and align with biodiversity objectives, further research and development in the field of bio-based alternatives to fossil-basednon-fuel, long-living and carbon-storing products are required and should be incentivised; underlines that a predictable regulatory environment is a precondition to attracting investments;
Amendment 433 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Believes that to improve the coordinated provision of environmental, social, societal and economic forest services, relevant EU framework programmes must be better aligned;
Amendment 437 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses that the implementation of the strategy must focus on enabling small- holders to deliver on the multiple forest functions and calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that support programmes, payment for ecosystem services schemes and research funding are attractive and easily accessible to small- holders but suggests a capping or degressive scheme for larger actors;
Amendment 446 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Underlines the importance of the forestry sector as a provider of jobs in rural communities and notes with concern the steady decline in employment and the high number of accidents in the sector; calls on the Commission and the Member States to monitor the effects of measures taken under the strategy on employment and work safety and highlights the importance of making this type of employment attractive and the opportunities of a more sustainable forest management toward this aim, taking measures to increase the safety of work and adequately training workers;
Amendment 462 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the importance of accurate, integrated and up-to-date data on Europe’s forests and takes note ofwelcomes the initiative for a legislative proposal for a framework on forest observation, reporting and data collection; welcomes also, as part of the Forest Information System for Europe (FISE), on the basis of improved Copernicus products, other remote- sensing data and ground-based monitoring, that existing monitoring of climate effects and other natural or human-induced disturbances on forests will be strengthened; underlines that the broad availability, high quality and transparency of data are preconditions to meeting the goals of the strategy and believes that to deliver added value the framework must build on existing mechanisms and processes through a bottom-up approach toand to make the best use of the expertise and experience present in the Member States;
Amendment 472 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Believes that in order to ensure the availability of high-quality data, remote sensing technologies must be combined with data acquired by ground-based monitoring and must be interpreted in close cooperation with scientists and independent local experts;
Amendment 475 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Notes that there needs to be more precision in the definition of the different types of forests. Forests can have very diverse levels of biodiversity and carbon storage/sinking capacity depending on the intensity of management, machinery used, the state of the soil, the level of parasite and illness intensity, etc.; points out that some forests are now releasing more carbon than they are absorbing; calls on the Commission to use the newly available data in order to establish a more precise taxonomy of forests depending on their state and the ecosystem services they render;
Amendment 477 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Re-iterates its call for the Commission and the Member States to harmonise existing data, to fill in the gaps regarding the location of primary and old- growth forests and to create a database of all potential sites fulfilling the criteria for old-growth and primary forests retroactively in the year 2020;
Amendment 486 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Takes note ofWelcomes the idea to introduce strategic plans for forests under the framework on forest observation, reporting and data collection; further notes that several Member States already have national strategies for forests in place; and these should be further updated to better align with EU objectives;
Amendment 500 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Highlights the importance of the Standing Forestry Committee as a forum for discussing EU policies that impact the forestry sector; believes that to achieve policy alignment, the Commission should increase dialogue between the Standing Forestry Committee and other expert groups, notably the Civil Dialogue Group on Forestry and Cork and the CGBN sub- working group on Nature and Forest;
Amendment 513 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Notes the extensive overlap among policies and legislation that impact forests and the forestry sector and stresses the importance of alignensuring themir coherence;
Amendment 514 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Expresses its concern about reports of illegal logging, including in state forests, and calls on the Commission and the Member States to increase their efforts to effectively implement relevant national and EU legislation in particular increase spending on enforcement; stresses that logging in violation of nature protection also constitutes “illegal logging”; deplores the length of time taken by the Commission in pursuing infringement cases with a great risk that illegal logging continues and that it will be too late to reverse and repair the huge damage of logging to primary and other forests of ecological importance;