| ITRE issues resolution on illegal logging A The EU Parliamentary Industry and Trade Committee (ITRE) delivered its opinion on the Commission’s Action Plan on illegal logging on 19 January. It welcomed the Commission’s Action Plan but added that the proposed measures do not go far enough. The committee therefore argued that new legislation to tackle the trade in illegally-sourced timber is needed. ITRE also dismissed concerns that such measures would be incompatible with WTO rules. The Committee requested the Commission to draft legislation that will prohibit the importing and marketing of all illegally-sourced timber and forest products, and to report back to both the Council and the European Parliament by June 2004. Finally, the Committee called on the Commission to take particular care in the use of the terms ‘legal’ and ‘illegal’ when making recommendations, and in particular to avoid unjustly implicating the innocent by the imprecise use of the word illegal. The Committee has submitted its opinion to the Council and the Commission. Dutch courage The Dutch parliament has adopted a resolution calling on its government to make a ban on the import of illegallysourced timber one of the aims of its EU presidency, due to start in July 2004. The parliament also asked to be informed on the content and procedures for the presidency preparations in relation to illegal logging. |
EP draft says no to sinks A new voice has added to the clamour calling for carbon credits based on sinks projects to be excluded from the European Carbon Trading Scheme. Alexander de Roo, the European Parliament’s rapporteur on the Linking Directive (one of two EU directives that together set the rules for the scheme) has issued a report[1] that upholds the European Commission’s proposal to exclude carbon sink credits from the ETS and reiterates many NGO concerns about carbon sink credits. The Linking Directive has drawn severe criticism from NGOs as the value of carbon credits in tackling climate change is highly questionable (see FW 77 September 2003). In light of this, the fact that credits from carbon sink projects have been specifically excluded is cold comfort. However, Mr de Roo’s unambiguous language on the shortcomings of carbon sinks credits is encouraging: “Sinks are not a permanent solution”, he says in the Explanatory Statement of the report, adding that “the ecological integrity of the Kyoto Protocol would go down the drain” if they were included. FERN calls on the Parliament’s Environment Committee to adopt the exclusion of sinks from the Linking Directive as proposed in the de Roo report. 1. 2003/0173 (COD) |
EU Procurement Directive adopted On 29 January the European Parliament adopted the new EU Directive on public procurement (see FW January 2004). Member states have now 21 months to bring their domestic legislation in line with the new EU Directive. The Directive was hailed by some, but others, notably the Green MEPs criticized the legislation for not going far enough on social, environmental and fair trade issues. In a press release they stated, “We are deeply disappointed that the Council considerably watered down the good proposals made by the European Parliament in compromise negotiations. We wanted the EU's aims of promoting social cohesion and integrating environmental sustainability in all policy issues to be adequately addressed. Council obviously thought otherwise”. In a report launched last month FERN (available at www.fern.org) explained how member states can best use the new Directive to implement green timber procurement policies. FERN hopes that all EU members will use the year ahead to develop strong timber procurement policies that take maximum advantage of the Directives’ potential, and that bring about tangible, positive results Member states have now 21 months to transpose the new Directive into national laws. |
The Mumbai Forest Initiative In January organizations concerned about forests and forest peoples' rights held a strategy meeting at the World Social Forum in Mumbai, India, to discuss ways of moving forward on those issues. The result was a draft statement of principles aimed at creating a global movement based on a common approach to forest conservation and to the respect of forest peoples’ rights. All people concerned about this issue are invited to share their views on the draft statement to make comments and suggestions for improvement and to join this process. The principles listed include:
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FSC audits Brazilian plantation project An internal investigation into the award of a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certificate to a controversial plantation project in Brazil will begin this month amid fears that it will provide a fig leaf to disguise problems that fall outside the scope of the investigation. The Plantar eucalyptus plantation was awarded FSC status by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) despite widespread criticism of the plantation by a coalition of local communities, Brazilian academics and trade unions. In addition to significant flaws in SCS’s assessment of the plantation’s management, which led to the award of FSC certification, the alliance’s crticism has focused on Plantar’s intimidation of local people and workers during its attempt to register as a carbon credit project under the Kyoto Protocol’s CleanDevelopment Mechanism (CDM). The coalition is now concerned that the FSC investigation will focus too narrowly on the technicalities of the certification process, and that the FSC’s final report will be used by Plantar to direct attention away from the most serious allegations. The critics are therefore calling on the World Bank, which is backing Plantar’s CDM registration through its Prototype Carbon Fund, to undertake a separate investigation into the intimidation claims, but so far the Bank has cited the FSC investigation as sufficient – just as the critics feared. |
Forest Convention kick off EU member states have started to discuss their positions on a legally binding forest agreement. There have been two EU level meetings and some member states, notably the UK, have started a consultation process. Enclosed with this issue of EU Forest Watch is FERN’s briefing on the issue. |
NEWS IN BRIEF Forest in Russia nearly saved Kalevala forest in the state of Karelia, Russia – one of the last remaining large intact forest areas of Europe – is a step closer to attaining protected status. The proposed National Park status was in danger because the Kostomuksha town authorities, who supported the protection measures, claimed they could not provide financial support for the park. However, international NGO activity has caused the discussion to be reopened, and it is expected that the final decision will be in the park’s favour. CBD legal briefing The Forest Peoples Programme has issued a new legal briefing showing how contemporary international law does not uphold the common assertion that respect for indigenous peoples’ rights in connection with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is barred by the principle of state sovereignty. The briefing shows how the principle of sovereignty over natural resources in international law includes the duty to respect the rights and interests of indigenous peoples and not to compromise the rights of future generations. This also applies to implementation of the CBD and other multilateral environmental legislation. The briefing is available at www.forestpeoples.org. EIB decides against Sepon forests The European Investment Bank (EIB) has voted to back the controversial Sepon copper mine in Laos despite fierce criticism from NGOs concerned about the mine’s impacts on forests and people in the region. The EIB approved a loan of $76.2m at the end of January despite evidence that the mine is expected to pollute river systems, lead to an increase in illegal logging and deforestation, and cause indigenous peoples to be relocated. NGOs are calling for EIB to conduct an independent environmental investigation into the impact of the mine. |
Forest Agenda 9-20 February: COP7 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 17 February: Consultation meeting on legally binding forest agreement, London. 1 March: DG Agriculture Advisory Committee on Forests and Cork, Brussels. |
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| PHOTO: Kakamega
Forest. Half of Kenya’s only tropical rainforest has already been lost. What is left provides a unique sanctuary for biodiversity and a vital resource for local people, many of whom depend on it for fuel, medicine and food. Credit: A. Arbib. |