On Friday 30 October, the European Commission published the roadmap for the new EU Forest Strategy, while simultaneously opening the first public consultation period.
Planned for the first quarter of 2021, the Forest Strategy is a non-legislative initiative to ensure healthy and resilient forests that contribute to biodiversity, climate objectives and livelihood security, and that support a circular bioeconomy.
Specifically, it will have the following objectives: (1) reduce the loss of forest cover; (2) preserve EU carbon stocks and increase carbon sinks in forests; (3) improve disaster risk prevention such as fires; (4) ensure the sustainable management of all EU forests; (5) encourage forests to adapt to climate change.
In particular, the strategy will set out a roadmap for the planting of at least three billion additional trees in the EU by 2030, as was announced in the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.
The public consultation will close on 4 December.
To view the roadmap and participate in the public consultation: https://bit.ly/2TP5C2r (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)