Standing Forest and Forestry Expert Group

The European Parliament adopted by 327 votes to 256, with 58 abstentions, amendments to the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Decision 89/367/EEC setting up a Standing Forestry Committee.

The matter was referred to the relevant committee for interinstitutional negotiations.

The Commission proposes to amend Council Decision 89/367/EEC to rename the Standing Forestry Committee and broaden its mission.

To ensure close and effective cooperation between the Commission and the Member States on forests and the forest sector in all forest-related areas of Union policy, it is proposed to establish a permanent expert group on forests and forestry.

According to the Members, the mission of the expert group should consist in particular of:

- assisting and closely cooperating with, and providing expertise and input to, the Commission in the preparation and implementation of legislative proposals, strategies, communications, guidelines or other Union policy initiatives relevant to forests and forestry, or that would have significant impact on forests or forestry within the Union;

- providing the Commission with advice and expertise to ensure the appropriate contribution of the Member States' forestry sector to the achievement of Union objectives and initiatives, to promote coherence and synergies and to eliminate existing inconsistencies between Union policies, to address their cumulative effect and to assess their compatibility with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality;

- increasing and intensifying cooperation between the Commission and the Member States in the field of forests and forestry, including through the support of measures and interventions under the Common Agricultural Policy, in particular to take into account sustainability aspects and create synergies between forests and agriculture, as well as to strengthen the socio-economic development of predominantly forested rural areas;

- acting as a forum for the exchange of views on emerging issues and initiatives in the field of forests, including those of interest to the wider forest sector, and to promote exchanges of views on the applicability and impact of Union policies relating to forests and forestry;

- seeking synergies, cooperating in this area and avoiding conflicts between national and European policies relating to forests and forestry, also taking into account other international developments;

- formulating opinions on legislative proposals, strategies, communications, guidelines or other Union initiatives relating to forests, which the Commission would take into account by providing feedback on how it has taken these opinions into account.

The expert group will be composed of representatives of Member States. Each Member State is encouraged to nominate national experts and facilitate their participation in the expert group meetings.

Member States should designate their representatives, ensuring that their competent authorities play an active role and that participating representatives can bring to bear the interests and experience of their respective Member State for all relevant policy objectives.

The chair of the expert group may present its annual work plan to the European Parliament.