Brussels, 02/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - The communication on “A new forestry strategy for the EU - forests and the wood sector 2030”, which is to be published by the European Commission in September, is currently under inter-service consultation by the various directorates general.
The text, which aims to replace the current rules dating back to 1998, seeks to steer the management of the European forests towards greater sustainability and to allow better coordination between the various national forestry policies and sectorial areas.
The Commission intends to keep expenditure at the current level (€5.4 billion) in the framework of rural development for the forthcoming planning period (2014-2020). The member states are called upon to take account of various principles of the strategy when drafting their own national action plans and forestry programmes. The Lithuanian Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers is planning to adopt conclusions on the subject at December's Agriculture Council.
In late July of this year, the European professional organisations of the forestry sector criticised the considerable delay in the timetable for the Commission's adoption of the communication on EU forestry strategy (see EUROPE 10897). (LC/transl.fl)