Council wants better co-ordination of EU forest policy

European farm ministers have adopted conclusions on the Commission’s proposed Forest Action Plan. The ministers want the Commission to appoint co-ordinators for forest policies in all relevant departments.

The agriculture ministers adopted council conclusions on the 2007-2011 Forest Action Plan on 24 October 2006. 

The ministers asked the Commission to nominate co-ordinators for forest-related policies in all relevant departments. They also recommended that the Standing Forestry Committee be strengthened, by enhancing its advisory role for all forest-related issues at EU level.

The Forest Action Plan was presented by the Commission in June 2006. It intends to improve the competitiveness of the EU’s forest-based industries while at the same time increasing sustainable forest management. One of the most important challenges is to find the right balance between the new energy supply role of forests (for biomass) and the traditional role of forests to provide the raw materials for the forest-based industry (for furniture, carton or woodboard production).

ACE, the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment welcomed the fact that governments want to improve co-ordination of forest-related policies within the Commission services by appointing a co-ordinator for all relevant DGs. “This cross-sectoral approach is vital in establishing coherance and synergies with other relevant Community initiatives”, ACE spokesperson Kevin Bradley said.

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