Detailed monitoring of European forests, which could also help to detect forest fires, is being postponed. A seemingly insignificant dispute carries an explosive political message: the norm has been rejected in the European Parliament’s ENVI committee by an unusual alliance of far-right groups and the ’mainstream’ European People’s Party (EPP). Socialist and Democrats protest.
Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI) on Tuesday, 23 September, took a first step towards what many call burying the law intended to improve data on the EU’s forests. Far-right factions Patriots for Europe (PfE) and Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) joined forces with EPP. Socialists and Democrats (S&D) are sounding the alarm.
“Systemic undermining of Green Deal”
“It is not an isolated case. The EPP is systematically undermining the EU’s Green Deal (…) By obstructing both monitoring and sustainable forest renewal, conservatives and the far right are leaving Europe dangerously exposed to the climate and biodiversity crises,” reacted the S&D after the voting.
Marta Temido, S&D negotiator in the European Parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee on the forest monitoring law, said that EPP has made early detection of threats almost impossible. “With wildfires, droughts, and pests hitting Europeans harder every summer, weakening forest monitoring is simply irresponsible,” Ms Temido added.
Too expensive and inaacurate?
Some MEPs who voted in favor of the rejection pointed to existing monitoring tools that are, in their views, sufficient. The also argued that the satellite technology is ’inaccurate’ and that it is necessary to avoid additional costs for member states. Such arguments are nothing new—widespread opposition to the rules, notably from the German and Austrian EPP members, has been clear since the start of negotiations.
Forestry remains a national competence under EU law. Some member states, especially those with a significant stretches of forested areas, remain protective of their prerogatives in this field.
The law will still be voted on in Parliament’s plenary session. If it is rejected again, the Commission might decide to withdraw the proposal.
