On Tuesday 21 October, the European Parliament decided to reject the European Commission’s proposal for the EU forest monitoring framework.
With 370 votes in favour, 264 against and 9 abstentions, the Parliament adopted the position of its committees responsible for the matter, which were in favour of rejecting this text (see EUROPE 13715/2). It also completed its first reading and refused to refer the dossier back to its environment and agriculture committees for examination.
The European Commission has taken note of the vote and plans to make a decision shortly within the College of Commissioners.
Positive reactions to the rejection came from the right-wing groups in the Chamber, while the S&D, Greens/EFA and the Left protested against the decision.
The EPP group justifies the rejection of the proposal on forest monitoring by saying that the text would have led to an unnecessary administrative burden for forest managers, farmers and Member States. According to this group, forest protection should not be achieved by increasing bureaucracy, but by effective and pragmatic environmental policies. The EPP defended “a more realistic and less ideological approach” to forest preservation.
Marie Toussaint (Greens/EFA, French) felt that, by rejecting the proposal, the European Parliament was “refusing to face up to the reality of the state of Europe’s forests”. Per Clausen (The Left, Danish) criticised “the right-wing initiative to delay, weaken and remove environmental protection in the EU”. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)