15 Amendments of Frédérique RIES related to 2019/2157(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas forests and other wooded land cover at least 43 % of the EU’s territory, and some Member States have more than half of their territories covered by forests and are heavily invested in forestry; half of the Natura 2000 network is made by forest areas, though this covers around 20% of the total forest surface of the EU. Forest areas are crucial for regulating the water cycle, absorbing CO2 and providing close-to-nature recreation possibilities.
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas forests and other wooded land cover at least 43 % of the EU’s territory, and some Member States have more than half of their territories covered by forests and are heavily invested in forestry; whereas about 60 % of EU forests are privately owned, most of which by small-scale owners with less than 3 ha of forest;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas more than 3 million people in the EU are employed by the EU forest sector, making it an important pillar of rural economies;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas European forests have a key role to play in flood management: 4.5 per cent of European forests are considered floodplain forests which have a significant role in water retention;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas forests disturbed by fires and logging have seen soil loss as high as 26.6 per cent. This makes soil less fertile and decreases agricultural productivity in surrounding areas. The soil in mature forests stores significantly more carbon than soils from areas that have been clear-cut;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas diverse natural ecosystems are an insurance policy against climate change. Scientists have found that forests with many tree species grow at a faster rate, store more carbon and are more resistant to pests and diseases;
Amendment 110 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that according to scientific research, sustainably managed forests have a higher CO2 absorption capacity than unmanaged forests; urges, therefore, that the new forest strategy should promote sustainable forest management; highlights the overall climate benefits stemming from forests and the forest-based value chain, namely fostered CO2- sequestration, carbon storage and substitution of fossil-based raw materials and energy; recognises the positive impact of sustainable forest management on European forest biodiversity; notes that forest protection and production do not act in contradiction, but can in fact be complementary to one another;
Amendment 129 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. recalls that about 60 % of EU forests are privately owned and that about two-thirds of private forest owners own less than 3 ha of forest; stresses that all measures must duly take this into account and hence must be designed in a way that they are accessible to and can be practically implemented by small-scale forest owners; recalls that the Commission has identified administrative burden and forest ownership structure as limiting factors for the uptake of certain measures1a; _________________ 1a COM(2018) 811 final, p.3
Amendment 148 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Emphasises the important role forests can play in substituting fossil-based materials and energies with bio-based products; believes that the new forest strategy should reflect the importance of the role played by European forests and the EU’s circular bio- economy in reaching climate neutrality by 2050 and that measures to this end should be included; stresses that these measures should make use of the full potential of substitution- effects;
Amendment 179 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that research and technology have come a long way since the forest strategy was introduced in 2013; stresses the importance of encouraging further research in forestry and bio-based products, particularly regarding the substitution of fossil-based raw materials and energies, and believes that EU funds for research should be further directed towards this; stresses that more research and funding would make a positive contribution to climate change mitigation, sustainable economic growth and employment, especially in rural areas;
Amendment 186 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls for the introduction of a coordinated electronic timber tracking and tracing system and for support for the development of automated tools for the timber circulation analysis and monitoring at all stages of its transformation and integration with related government and commercial record keeping, reporting, permits issuance, agreements registration systems;
Amendment 239 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Notes that the implementation of adapted forest management plans takes place on Member State level and requires increased cooperation between forest and environmental authorities, NGOs, the local communities and forest owners;
Amendment 251 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Highlights the importance of the environmental defenders in common efforts to protect and restore EU forest. We call for zero tolerance on attacks or harassment against them;
Amendment 254 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5d. Stresses the need for the European Union to do more to stop the clear-cutting and illegal logging and enforce EU rules that prohibit the degradation of old- growth forests. Highlights the need for EU to follow through on the illegal logging cases through organisms such EPPO or OLAF;
Amendment 259 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)
Paragraph 5 e (new)
5e. Stresses that tree planting schemes must be an adjunct to restoring natural forests as the wrong tree in the wrong place can intensify forest fires and actually release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Notes that forest- restoration schemes must increase their carbon sequestration potential to meet global climate commitments;