Does EU have plan to tackle its deforestation footprint?

The EU has launched a study to assess how it should tackle its contribution to deforestation. Previous studies showed that between 1990 and 2008, the EU imported 36 per cent of all traded crops associated with deforestation.

This alarming figure led to a commitment in the Seventh Environmental Action Programme to assess what the EU could do to lessen its impact. The upcoming study, to be completed by August 2016, is a first step in that process.

Three consultants – COWI, Milieu and Ecofys – will prepare material for a stakeholder consultation as part of the information-gathering process.

The European Commission has instructed this consortium to study a wide range of policies and suggest where improvements could be made. These policies include Trade and Investment, Common Commercial Policy, Development and International Cooperation, the Internal Market, Agriculture and Fisheries, Environment, Consumer Protection, Energy, Climate Change, Sustainable Production and Consumption, as well as EU and international forest policies, including the FLEGT Action Plan.

In a series of reports on EU measures to protect forest and respect rights, Fern has made recommendations for a number of these policy areas. The consortium must assess the economic, social and environmental impact of any proposals they make, as well as the role played by the private sector.

Image: CIFOR via Flickr