57 Amendments of Juozas OLEKAS related to 2019/2157(INI)
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
— having regard to Regulation No 1143/2014 of the EP and the Council on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species and the consecutive Implementing regulations with updates of the List of invasive species, among which also tree species,
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
— having regard to the responsibilities of the EU States under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD),
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union makes no reference to a common EU forest policy, and responsibility for forests lies with the Member States, but whereas the EU has a long history of contributing, through its policies, some of which already have implications on the Member States' forestry policies, to sustainable forest management (SFM) and the Member States’ decisions on forests;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas approximately 40% of EU's forests are publicly owned, Member States are obliged to set an example for sustainable forest management in their publicly owned forests for the public good;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas European forests absorb and store approximately 10% of EU carbon emissions, contributing thus to climate change mitigation efforts;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas forests and the entire forest-based value chain are fundamental to the further development of the circular bioeconomy as they provide jobs, ensure economic welfare in rural and urban areas, deliver climate change mitigation and adaptation services, offer health-related benefits, and protect the biodiversity and prospects of mountainous and rural areas and combat desertification;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas riverside forests have a very important role to play being natural protection against increase of water level during floods, but also in terms of preserving humidity in a situation of rising global temperature; whereas they play a key role in preserving biodiversity, but also tend to absorb among others agricultural mineral residues through the groundwater, thus limiting the expose of rivers to polluting factors; whereas in some member states there have been some regional projects of replanting riverside forests at least several meters from the river shore;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas sustainably managed forests are enormously important in guaranteeing jobs in rural areas, representing a benefit for human health, while at the same time making a vital contribution to the environment and biodiversity;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas access to natural forest terrains and/or forest products comprise a crucial element for some breeds of domesticated or semi domesticated autochthonous and local breeds of animals, which have a high socio- economic and cultural value, such as the East Balkan swine or the Black Iberian pig; whereas the quality of the products from these animals depend highly on the presence of acorns and other forest products, which is why it is crucial to allow the breeders have access to the necessary conditions for the respective animal breeding;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas almost 23% of European forests are to be found in Natura 2000 sites, with the share in some Member States exceeding 50%, and almost half of the natural habitats in Natura 2000 areas are forests;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas High Conservation Value Forests (HCV Forests) have a crucial role to play in preserving vulnerable habitats, but also in enhancing science; whereas some EU member states have adopted targeted policies towards HCVF, which is commendable; whereas the added value from these forests cannot be compared or measured in economic terms, which makes it difficult at times to be understood by forest owners, which is why some sort of compensatory mechanism could be further designed, if and where applicable;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas according to the latest estimations, only 26% of forest species and 15% of the forest habitats were found to be in favourable conservation status1a; _________________ 1a https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/biodive rsity/forests/forest-dynamics-in-europe- and
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Cd. whereas forests can be sources of both primary forest products such as wood, they provide for valuable secondary products such as mushrooms, truffles, herbs, honey and berries, which are very important for the economic activities in some regions of the Union;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)
Recital C e (new)
Ce. whereas agroforestry, defined as land use systems in which trees are grown in combination with agriculture on the same land unit, is a suite of land management systems, which boost overall productivity, generate more biomass, maintain and restore soils and provide a number of valuable ecosystem services;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)
Recital C e (new)
Ce. whereas socially and environmentally responsible hunting plays an important role also in forests and semi-forest regions through control of game or spread of disses on it, such as African swine fever;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C f (new)
Recital C f (new)
Cf. whereas forests play a crucial role in the fight against soil erosion, but also desertification of land masses; whereas studies show that trees in parks and city- environment have positive effect on keeping lower temperatures as compared to treeless areas;
Amendment 90 #
Cg. whereas in the current programming period (2014-2020) there are measures in the CAP targeted at helping economic actors in building capacities with regard to forestry management;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C h (new)
Recital C h (new)
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Takes note of the fact that forests fulfil several, often-conflicting objectives (including regulating water quality, biodiversity protection and providing raw materials for paper, construction and energy), which is why, as a result, many of these forests fall consequently under distinct domains where the EU is competent, such as energy, agriculture, environment, climate and water, and many European Commission Directorates General are engaged in forest related issues1a although forests per se remain outside the realm of EU competences; calls, therefore, on the Commission and the Directorates Generals with forest- related competences to work strategically to ensure coherence in any forestry- related work and enhance the sustainable management of forests; as well as to review its organisational structures relevant to forest, agroforestry and the forest-based sector to ensure effective implementation of the strategy; _________________ 1ahttps://www.mdpi.com/1999- 4907/9/3/125/htm#
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Emphasises that the EU’s forests are multifunctional and characterised by great diversity, including differences in ownership patterns, size, structure, biodiversity, resilience and challenges; points out, in addition, that forests offer society a wide variety of ecosystem services including raw materials, improved air quality, absorbing and storing around 10% of EU carbon emissions thereby significantly contributing to climate change mitigation efforts, clean water, erosion control, and protection from droughts, floods and avalanches;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Emphasises that the EU’s forests are multifunctional and characterised by great diversity, including differences in ownership patterns, size, structure, biodiversity, resilience and challenges; points out, in addition, that forests offer society a wide variety of ecosystem services including raw materials, improved air quality, clean water, biodiversity, erosion control, and protection from droughts, floods and avalanches, and recreational, cultural and spiritual benefits;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that forests and other wooded areas cover at least 43 % of the surface of the EU, that 60 % of EU forests are privately owned with a high proportion of small size forest holdings, and that the sector employs at least 500 000 people directly3 and 2.6 million indirectly in the EU4 ; _________________ 3 Eurostat database on forestry, available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/forestry/d ata/database 4European Parliament fact sheet of May 2019 on the European Union and forests.
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that forests and other wooded areas cover at least 43 % of the surface of the EU and that the sector employs at least 500 000 people directly3 and 2.6 million indirectly in the EU4 ; stresses that this workforce is dependent on a well- preserved and sustainably managed forest ecosystem in the long term; _________________ 3 Eurostat database on forestry, available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/forestry/d ata/database 4European Parliament fact sheet of May 2019 on the European Union and forests.
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Acknowledges the crucial climate benefits of forests and the forest-based sector; highlights the need to increase CO2 sequestration in forests and agroforests, and their soils, carbon storage in wood- based products and the substitution of fossil-based materials and energy;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Reminds that there are several tree species in the List of invasive alien species of Union concern; notes that other invasive alien plants can also be met in forests; calls on all state, regional or local authorities as well as to any other stakeholder from the public, private or non-governmental sector, to include only local varieties of trees suitable for the given regions, while implementing various forest (re)planting projects and activities; calls also to the national responsible authorities to exchange information and best practicing with their partners from other member states on how to overcome the spread of invasive alien species in the forests and if possible how to reduce their presence with the aim of replacing them fully with local varieties;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Calls on the Member States to give the necessary provisions for breeders of autochthonous breeds of animals, which are dependent on access to forests, to get such smoothly so that jobs can be preserved in rural areas, which also preserves traditional knowledge and biodiversity, while at the same time providing quality products to the EU consumer;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Encourages the Member States to intensify their respective forestry stakeholders to reach to a broader segment of the population through educational tools and programmes both for pupils, but also for people of the other age groups, stressing the importance of forests both for human-led activities, but also for preserving biodiversity and various ecosystems;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3
Subheading 3
The future – the crucial role played by the post-2020 EU Forest Strategy and the European Green Deal in meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Emphasises the crucial role of forests, agroforests, the forest-based sector and the bioeconomy in achieving the goals of the European Green Deal; stresses that achieving the EU’s environmental and climate goals will never be possible without multifunctional, healthy and sustainably managed forests and viable industries; encourages, in addition, actions tocalls on the Commission, in addition, to consider creating a special budget, outside the Common Agricultural Policy budget, to incentivise Member States to comply with EU-wide targets for increaseing forest cover, especially in areas not suitable for food production and those in proximity to urban areas, in order to mitigate adverse heat effects and pollution, while curbing deforestation;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Takes the view that the EU Forest Strategy should act as a bridge between national forest and agroforest policies and EU objectives relating to forests and agroforests, recognising both the need to respect national competence and the need to contribute to wider EU objectives, while coherently addressing the specificities of both private forests and publicly owned ones;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls on the Member States to improve national legislation to put in place, or strengthen where necessary, protection against illegal logging and loss of biodiversity;
Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses the importance of evidence-based decision-making with regard to EU policies relating to forests, the forest-based sector and its value-chain; calls for all forest-related aspects of European Green Deal measures to be consistent with the post-2020 EU Forest Strategy, particularly with a view to ensuring that SFM has a positive impact on society, and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals; highlights that any possible EU guidelines related to sustainable forest management should be developed in the framework of the post-2020 EU Forest Strategy;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls on the European Commission to invest supplementary funds - additional to the budget already allocated to the CAP scheme - in an EU- wide action on reforestation, afforestation and to implement specific subsidies for forestry management and environmental protection, to contribute to the Green Deal 2050 climate change mitigation efforts;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Highlights the need to take into consideration the links between the forest- based sector and other sectors as well as the importance of digitalisation and investing in education, research and innovation; stresses the crucial role of wood-based materials in substituting fossil- based alternatives in industries such as the construction industry, the textile industry, the chemical industry and the packaging industry;
Amendment 322 #
16b. Considers that the EU should encourage the use of locally-sourced timber, harvested wood products or forest biomass in order to minimise the carbon footprint created by transport of imports from third countries and to stimulate sustainable local production and jobs;
Amendment 337 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses that due to climate change, natural disturbances such as droughts, floods, storms, pest infestations, erosion and fires will occur more frequently, causing damage to forests in the EU; emphasises, in this context, the need to betterdevelop risk management tools to prepare for and prevent such events by making forests more resilient, for example through research and innovation and byto offering better support mechanisms for affected areas and properties so they can be restored;
Amendment 342 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Calls on the state or regional actors, which responsible for forests, to support either with adequate resources or expertise and knowledge the repopulation of riverside forests, where relevant, with local and/or specialised stakeholders, with the aim of creating biodiverse habitats, after the creation of which ecological services, such as absorption of harmful substances, which circulate through groundwaters, will be achieved;
Amendment 348 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Calls on the members states where secondary forest products play an important socio-economic role to develop and enhance guidelines, or where necessary also national legislation with regard to practicing these activities;
Amendment 349 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17c. Calls on the member states to design initiatives for preserving and where necessary establishing HCV Forests with necessary mechanisms and instruments for incentivising and compensating, where applicable, forest owners, so that knowledge and science can advance vis-à-vis these forests, alongside preserving natural habitats;
Amendment 355 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recognises the role of biodiversity in ensuring that forest ecosystems remain healthy and resilient; highlights the importance of the Natura 2000 sites; notes, however, that sufficientencourages further research into the relationship between biodiversity and resilience; notes, however, that technical advice and fresh financial resources are needed to manage such areas;
Amendment 374 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Encourages the completion of the ongoing process established by the current EU Forest Strategy1a to develop a non- end-use- driven sustainability approach with the close involvement of the Standing Forestry Committee and the Member States,; believes that this should building on the two-step approach of the recast Renewable Energy Directive; believes that the two-step as this approach could be used in other policies aiming to improveconsidering the sustainability of forestry; _________________ 1aCOM(2013)659 A new EU Forest Strategy: for forests and the forest-based sector
Amendment 385 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Stresses the crucial importance of the CAP and forestry measures in implementing the EU Forest Strategy; encourages the continuity of forestry measures under the 2021-2027 CAP; highlights the need for other easily accessible, well-coordinated and relevant EU funding mechanisms, including possible schemes of payment for ecosystem services on a voluntary basis;
Amendment 388 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Stresses the crucial importance of the CAP, forestry and agroforestry measures in implementing the EU Forest Strategy; encourages the continuity of forestry and agroforestry measures under the 2021-2027 CAP; highlights the need for other easily accessible, well- coordinated and relevant EU funding mechanisms;
Amendment 394 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Takes note of the challenge for both farmers and administrators in identifying and monitoring the preservation of landscape features, in particular those aiming to protect scarce woody vegetation; calls on the European Commission to reduce and simplify the administrative requirements, in order to boost woody vegetation promotion and preservation linked to landscape features policies associated with Pillar I and Pillar II payments;
Amendment 398 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls on the member states to align the various strategies and plans for forestry management so that the respective targets can be followed and corrected accordingly in due course, instead of creating administrative mosaics, which then threatens achieving the goals set in these strategic documents;
Amendment 402 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Takes note of the low uptake of the numerous measures within the 2014-2020 Rural Development Regulations designed to support the deliberate integration of woody vegetation with farming; therefore calls on the European Commission to bundle various agroforestry promotion initiatives in the post 2020 Common Agricultural Policy Reform into a unique “agroforestry” measure, which will promote the use of woody component in agrarian and forestry systems;
Amendment 404 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Calls on the European commission together with its respective agencies and centers, where necessary to invest in and where necessary intensify the research on finding a solution to the spread of the Cryphonectria parasitica on chestnut trees and forests;
Amendment 408 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21c. Notes that no specific funds are allocated to improve the management and restoration of already existing agroforestry lands in a clear way; calls on the European Commission to integrate maintenance payments for agroforestry similar to those of afforested/reforested lands;
Amendment 411 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 d (new)
Paragraph 21 d (new)
21d. Calls on the European Commission to support the promotion of the recognition of the high quality products and ecosystem services that agroforestry delivers, by appropriate market promotion and agroforestry identification, or labelling;
Amendment 412 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 e (new)
Paragraph 21 e (new)
21e. Acknowledges the lack of knowledge about agroforestry among many farmers; calls, therefore, on the European Commission to promote EU- wide specialised training programmes, in order to make farmers and female farmers aware of the benefits and the practice of integrating woody vegetation with agriculture at local, regional and global scales;
Amendment 414 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 f (new)
Paragraph 21 f (new)
21f. Recognizes the significant capacity of agroforestry to boost overall biomass productivity and therefore encourages the European Commission to treat it as a productive measure; underlines that such mixed ecosystems produce more biomass and absorb more atmospheric carbon and therefore encourages promotion of agroforestry systems;
Amendment 446 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the need to develop an EU- wide Forest Information and Monitoring System for Europe under the shared responsibility of all of the relevant Commission Directorates-General, that is able to provide real-time information on forest resources, monitor whether natural reserves and protected trees are well preserved and forecast and measure the impact of natural disasters and disturbances on forest condition and health; stresses the importance of science- based, balanced information with socio- economic indicators for the development of any forest-related EU policy;
Amendment 449 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the need to develop an EU- wide Forest Information System for Europe under the shared responsibility of all of the relevant Commission Directorates-General; stresses the importance of science-based, balanced information with socio-economic indicators for the development of any forest-related EU policy; notes that national forest inventories represent a comprehensive monitoring tool for assessing forestry stocks and take into account regional considerations;
Amendment 450 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the need to continue to develop an EU- wide Forest Information System for Europe (FISE) under the shared responsibility of all of the relevant Commission Directorates-General working on different topics covered by FISE; believes that the coordination of this tool should be undertaken by the EU Forest Strategy; stresses the importance of science-based, balanced information with socio-economic indicators for the development of any forest-related EU policy;
Amendment 471 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Commission’s Standing Forestry Committee to give the to ensure that Member States have a central role in the preparation and implementation of the post-2020 EU Forest Strategy via the Standing Forestry Committee; stresses the importance of the parallel involvement of relevant stakeholders in the Civil Dialogue Group on Forestry and Cork; urges the Commission to involve Parliament in the implementation of the EU Forest Strategy on an annual basis;
Amendment 482 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, and to the governments and parliaments of the Member States.