Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-02-15-Speech-3-244"
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"en.20060215.16.3-244"2
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".
Mr President, first of all I would like to congratulate the rapporteur, Mr Kindermann, on a very well-balanced report.
The Commission believes that the main issues and challenges in the European forestry sector are well reflected in the draft opinion. In particular, we appreciate the overall support given to the Commission’s proposal concerning the preparation of a European action plan for forestry. In our view, the action plan should provide a coherent, verifiable and practical framework for the implementation of this strategy. It could become a major instrument of coordination between Community actions and the forestry policies in the different Member States. For that reason, we consider the development and implementation of the action plan a dynamic process, which should involve the Member States and the stakeholders and should be accompanied by regular monitoring and reporting.
The ideas are very well expressed in the draft opinion and we fully share the rapporteur’s view on the need to develop the action plan in close cooperation with the Member States and the stakeholders. I think we have already made progress in that respect. The action plan will be based on the overall principles of the European forestry strategy, which are sustainability and subsidiarity.
There are three specific issues that I would like to highlight. First, the need to enhance the competitiveness of the forestry sector, in line with the Lisbon objectives. There is growing concern about the economic viability of sustainable forestry in the European Union in the context of globalisation. Competitiveness is a key pillar of sustainable forest management and it is of crucial importance in maintaining the multiple benefits that forestry provides to society, including employment opportunities in rural areas where there is nothing else. Forestry can deliver a wide range of products and services to society and we should try to develop this potential in the future.
The second issue is that the forestry sector has to respond to social demands concerning the protection of the environment and the natural heritage, in accordance with the Gothenburg objectives of sustainable development. The forestry sector as a whole will prosper best if it fits snugly into wider society. Actively contributing to major European objectives, such as biodiversity, conservation or climate change mitigation, will offer new opportunities for forestry. In relation to a previous discussion, the possibility of biomass for energy is a clear example of how forestry can contribute.
The last issue is the global importance of forestry for sustainable development and the need firmly to continue our support for international commitments for the protection and sustainable management of forestry worldwide. That also involves measures to combat illegal logging and related trade in forest products. Those issues are well addressed in the report and I can assure you that they will be reflected in our action plans."@en1
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