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In 1998 a Council Resolution called on the Commission to report on the implementation of a forestry strategy for the EU [1] within five years. An NGO coalition warned then that the forestry strategy, which was developed with no formal NGO input, put trees ahead of the forest and failed to ensure an end to policies and practices that destroy critical forest habitats.[2] A good five years on, DG Agriculture, the lead DG in the preparation of the strategy's implementation report, has confirmed that preparation of the report is well under way, with a presentation of a first draft expected at the 14 June meeting of the Forestry and Cork Advisory Group. The report will be presented in two parts: a Commission Staff Working Document and a Commission Communication, the former providing a detailed overview of the actions taken by both the Commission and the member states in relation to the implementation of the EU Forestry Strategy. However, while, during the preparation of the report, the Commission has invited comments on the implementation of the strategy from member states, NGOs and forest owners, a decision on the opportunities for public comments on the draft reports has not yet been made. Given the concerns raised by NGOs in 1998, FERN has highlighted that many of these concerns remain unaddressed. FERN therefore urges both that the Commission should provide an opportunity for consultation once the draft reports have been presented, and that the future implementation of the forestry strategy focuses on measures to halt the ongoing destruction and degradation of forest ecosystems within the EU.
For
further information, please contact:Alexey Yaroshenko, Greenpeace 2 see http://www.fern.org/pubs/archive/forstrtx.htm |
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As the Commission faces growing pressure from member states to present a draft Regulation allowing the EU to halt illegal timber imports from partner countries, various organisations have started to look at the potential impacts and workings of a licensing scheme that would accompany such a Regulation. Indufor Oy [1] (contracted by the Commission), the Royal Institute for International Affairs [2] and FERN [3] have all presented reports on the impact and/or workings of a licensing scheme whereby all timber coming from partner countries must have a licence to be accepted into the EU. And although the Terms of Reference for the three studies differed, one clear conclusion from all three is that the impact of banning illegal timber from partner countries could prove negligible if restricted only to logs and sawn wood. To expand the licensing scheme to include all product groups - including paper and pulp - would therefore be essential. FERN also believes that, in order to be effective, the scheme would need to be complemented by other measures such as government procurement policies, guidelines for financial institutions and a general prohibition on trade in illegal timber. At member state level, activities around illegal logging are increasing. A recent legal study in France details how national legislation can be used to counter imports of illegally sourced timber, [4] while the Belgian government has presented an intervention for the next environment council. This asks for legislation outlawing illegal timber and for any regulation to be based on article 175 rather than 133 in order to allow a voice for the Parliament.
1 Draft report available from: info@fern.org 2 Final report will be available at: www.illegal-logging.info/ 3 Draft report available from: info@fern.org 4 See: www.fern.org |
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The 4th session of the UNFF proved a disappointment for governments, NGOs and IPOs [1] alike. "We are sick and tired of the UNFF" said some government officials. Sadly, the time and effort spent on improving both UNFF's format and its outcomes over the past four years have clearly changed nothing and civil society participation is still a sham. Indeed, the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (#11)[2] proclaimed that: "the UNFF has failed to deliver on its stated aims, and ... continuing the arrangement in its current form is neither politically viable nor desirable". See special report attached for more details.
1 Indigenous Peoples Organisations 2 See: www.iisd.ca/forestry/unff/unff4/ |
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As part of the DG Trade exercise to carry out three sectoral impact assessments of proposed WTO negotiations (on forests, agriculture and distribution services), a first report for the forestry sector study is now available for comment.[1] The final report is expected in November this year –- following a mid-term report in July - and will assess the possible economic, social and environmental impacts of the potential outcomes from ongoing WTO negotiations. It aims to provide an assessment of the expected impacts - on both sustainability and trade - of issues such as the EU licensing scheme to control the import of illegally sourced timber. (See FW no. 83).
1 See: http://idpm.man.ac.uk/sia-trade |
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On Friday 21 May, 170 organisations sent an open letter [1] to Philp Maystadt, President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) protesting against EIB claims to have engaged in dialogue with NGOs about the financing of Brazil's Veracel cellulose pulp mill project. Rather than a 'dialogue', NGOs see the Veracel case more as a clear example of the EIB's unwillingness to engage in meaningful consultation with impacted communities. NGOs and local communities were simply not heard, the recent unrest in the Bahia region showing that the EIB has yet again financed a project which is causing serious social and environmental problems.
1 See: http://www.foei.org/media/2004/0521openletter.html |
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Climate matters this summer'Carbon-neutral' claims questioned. Last month FERN requested that the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) investigate advertisements by two British companies. Future Forests and Climate Care both claim to neutralise clients' greenhouse gas emissions through tree planting and other activities. FERN considers the claims to be unverifiable and misleading to consumers. Whilst complaints against Futures Forests have been rejected on technicalities, the ASA is currently pursuing the complaint against Climate Care. See: www.sinkswatch.org Carbon-Expo Trade Fair exposed. This week sees the world's first carbon trade fair, organised in Cologne by the World Bank, the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) and Koelnmesse. But while conference announcements boast that “"carbon finance … fosters the transfer of clean technologies and improves land management practices"” a coalition of NGOs, including SinksWatch, have exposed that carbon finance is actually set to provide perverse subsidies for unsustainable industrial monoculture tree plantations and mega-dams. |
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Call for action on biodiversity lossEuropean governments and stakeholders met in Malahide, Ireland, last month to draft an action plan to halt biodiversity loss in EU countries by 2010. The draft document, "Message from Malahide", builds on the revision of the existing EC Biodiversity Action Plan (see FW no. 79), redefining objectives and even maintaining some funds for biodiversity conservation that had been due to be axed. It was clearly recognised at the meeting, however, that the goal of mainstreaming environment issues into EU policy has got nowhere and must be urgently addressed. Thus the report will be presented to the Council working group in the second week of June. It is hoped that this time the Council will press the Commission into implementing the plan. For the draft report see: www.eu2004.ie/ |
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NEWS
IN BRIEF The need to provide documents in 20 EU languages has delayed the call for proposals for projects involving indigenous peoples. The call for projects, administered under the Human Rights programme, is now delayed until July at the earliest. For more information contact: Ms Taru Kernisalo (Europeaid Office). Tel. +32 (0)2 299 97 71
Funding for projects in Indonesia. Already ongoing in four countries - Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam - the European Commission's Small Grants Fund for Tropical Forests Projects (see FW no. 59) is now starting in Indonesia with the call for the first round of proposals expected in August. See: www.sgpptf.org/ With an August deadline, the Commission is also seeking proposals for Micro-Projects in Indonesia. The deadline for submissions is 4 August. See: http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid
NGOs demand EIB reform: Last week saw the launch of a joint NGO platform on the European Investment Bank. In “"Public Funds for Public Benefits"” released on 1 June, civil society groups called on concerned citizens and European policy-makers to join efforts to make the EIB an institution that supports people and the environment; an institution that is fully transparent and accountable to the public. The new platform has been endorsed by some 60 organisations worldwide. For the full text see: www.fern.org |
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Forest
Agenda 16-25 June: UNFCCC SBSTTA 20, Bonn 17-18 June: Royal Institute of International Affairs seminar on illegal logging, London 25 June: OECD consultation with NGOs on Export Credit Agencies, Paris 29 June: meeting on EIB and financing projects outside Europe, Brussels 1 July: Dutch Presidency starts |
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EU Forest Watch is published
by FERN, the forest campaign group focusing on EU policy. |
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PHOTO:
Kakamega Forest. |
