Brussels, 01/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - In light of the damaging impact of climate change on forests and woodland, should EU forestry management be improved and if so, to what extent, given that forestry policy is a domain over which the member states have power? The European Commission has raised the question and is urging as many stakeholders as possible to reply - EU institutions, member states, charities, NGOs, individuals and any other interested parties.
To this end, the European Commission published a Green Paper on Monday 1 March 2010 that sets out options for a European Union approach to the protection of forests and to information about forest resources and their condition. The Commission hopes that the contributions to the public debate will help in deciding whether extra measures are needed at EU level to supplement member states' efforts. The document follows on from the White Paper on Adapting to Climate Change that was published by the Commission in April 2009 to guide EU action to reduce its vulnerability to the impact of climate change (see EUROPE 9874). As part of the consultation exercise, the Commission will be organising a seminar in Brussels on 3 June 2010 as part of Green Week.
Presenting the Green Paper at a press conference, EU Environment Commissioner Janez Potoènik said that the degradation of forests is far less of a concern in the EU than in developing countries, where forest quality is declining and forests are simply being chopped down. There has been a constant growth in the land mass given over to forestry over the past 60 years but this growth is slowing down. There are two reasons why the European Commission is launching the reflection on forestry and the EU's future strategy for forest protection in the European continent - firstly the fact that the EU's forestry strategy is a decade old and no longer meets the challenges facing forestry today, and secondly, the EU's forestry action plan runs out next year, explained Janez Potoènik.
The Green Paper, “Preparing forests for climate change”, sets out the main challenges facing Europe's forests. It presents existing forest information systems and the tools available to protect forests, and raises a series of questions relevant to the development of future policy options. The problems facing forestry and woodland include loss of biodiversity, increased demand for leisure activities and their key role in supplying the EU with renewable energy at a time when the land areas given over to forestry is slowing down. The Green Paper also lists the existing forestry information systems and tools to protect woodland, setting out various options for forestry protection, management and information about forestry and woodland, along of course with how climate change is likely to impact and the need for updated knowledge.
The average temperature in Europe has risen by almost 1°C during the past century and the most optimistic projection sees an increase of 2°C by 2100. This rapid rate of man-made climate change is overwhelming the natural ability of ecosystems to adapt. It will alter the suitability of whole regions for certain forest types, forcing a shift in the natural distribution of tree species and leading to changes in the growth of existing forest stands. Extreme events such as storms, forest fires, droughts and heat waves are expected to become much more common and/or severe, thus adding to pressure on forests.
Potoènik said that climate change is the biggest threat and people have to look at what each and every one of us can do at EU level, national level and local level, and also take care of soil protection, regulations governing water supplies and protecting biodiversity.
To give an idea of the dangers to be averted, the Commissioner highlighted the many tasks and great importance of forestry and woodland, which account for 42% of the EU's landmass. Janez Potoènik said: "Europe's forests are a precious resource that must be protected against the harmful impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. Their wide range of social, economic and environmental functions means that the stakes are high. We need to explore what value European action can add to national efforts to safeguard forests and maintain reliable, coherent and up-to-date information about them." He explained that forests are a source of employment, income and raw materials for industry and the renewable energy industry. They protect the soil, agglomerations and infrastructure, regulating water supplies and preserving biodiversity. They are also formidable carbon sinks. Around the world, however, deforestation and degradation of forests (along with other changes in the use of soil) account for some 12 to 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The Green Paper will be discussed at a forestry protection conference organised by the Spanish Presidency on 6 and 7 April (in Valsain, Spain). The public consultation exercise on the Green Paper can be accessed at website “Your Voice in Europe”, see http: //ec.europa.eu/yourvoice (A.N./transl.fl)