Work
07.April 2006 - 00:00
Forest in climate change mitigation
What action has the Commission taken, or is IT about to take, in order to mobilise the potential for climate‑change mitigation of the expansion of forest areas and the protection and sustainable use of existing forests and other lands within the EU and worldwide?
In its review of Directive 2003/87/EC in 2006, how is the Commission preparing to respond to the LULUCF‑specific requirements stipulated in this directive? In particular, with respect to the need to ‘consider technical provisions relating to the temporary nature of credits and the limit of 1% for eligibility for land use, land use change and forestry project activities as established in Decision 17/CP.7, and also provisions relating to the outcome of the evaluation of potential risks associated with the use of genetically modified organisms and potentially invasive alien species in afforestation and reforestation project activities, to allow operators to use CERs and ERUs resulting from land use, land use change and forestry project activities in the Community scheme from 2008, in accordance with the decisions adopted pursuant to the UNFCCC or the Kyoto Protocol’.
E-0566/06EN
Answer given by Mr Dimas
on behalf of the Commission
(7.4.2006)
The EU Treaty makes no provision for a common forestry policy, therefore its influence on the management of forests is limited. In addition, it is in the competence of Member States whether, or to what extent, they implement land-use change and forestry measures for climate change mitigation. At the same time, the Commission is fully aware of the importance of such activities in climate change mitigation and has been providing support for them.
The Commission provides co-funding for afforestation under the Rural Development Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 . Member States can include such actions in their rural development programmes and allocate the necessary funding pursuant to their priorities and needs. After the expiration of this Regulation (2006), these measures will be continued in the framework of the new Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 of 20 September 2005, on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) .
The Commission also implements and supports a number of measures to reduce forest losses due to fire, including awareness raising, fire prevention, fire fighting, restoration after fires, information sharing and risk assessment.
The Commission is actively involved in numerous international processes aimed at the protection and/or better management of forests. In addition, it has been supporting a number of projects under Regulation (EC) No 2494/2000 of the Parliament and of the Council of 7 November 2000 on measures to promote the conservation and sustainable management of tropical forests and other forests in developing countries . The future of these measures after the expiration of this regulation (2006) is outlined in the Communication from the Commission titled “External Action: Thematic Programme For Environment and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources including Energy” . Under the EU Action Plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) , the Commission is engaging with major timber producing countries to address problems like corruption and illegal logging, which are among the main obstacles to forest conservation and sustainable use in developing countries.
As recognised in the Commission Communication titled “Winning the Battle Against Global Climate Change” , the contribution of deforestation to global greenhouse gas emissions is considerable. The Commission is exploring ways in which to address this issue in the post-2012 international climate policy framework.
The inclusion of emission reductions from Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) into the EU emission trading scheme would require an amendment to this Directive and is therefore unlikely for the second trading period which starts in 2008.
When considering the inclusion of LULUCF issues, the Commission will assess the uncertainties related to actual emission reductions from such activities as well as the way such activities are dealt with in the post-2012 international climate change co-operation.
What action has the Commission taken, or is IT about to take, in order to mobilise the potential for climate‑change mitigation of the expansion of forest areas and the protection and sustainable use of existing forests and other lands within the EU and worldwide?
In its review of Directive 2003/87/EC in 2006, how is the Commission preparing to respond to the LULUCF‑specific requirements stipulated in this directive? In particular, with respect to the need to ‘consider technical provisions relating to the temporary nature of credits and the limit of 1% for eligibility for land use, land use change and forestry project activities as established in Decision 17/CP.7, and also provisions relating to the outcome of the evaluation of potential risks associated with the use of genetically modified organisms and potentially invasive alien species in afforestation and reforestation project activities, to allow operators to use CERs and ERUs resulting from land use, land use change and forestry project activities in the Community scheme from 2008, in accordance with the decisions adopted pursuant to the UNFCCC or the Kyoto Protocol’.
E-0566/06EN
Answer given by Mr Dimas
on behalf of the Commission
(7.4.2006)
The EU Treaty makes no provision for a common forestry policy, therefore its influence on the management of forests is limited. In addition, it is in the competence of Member States whether, or to what extent, they implement land-use change and forestry measures for climate change mitigation. At the same time, the Commission is fully aware of the importance of such activities in climate change mitigation and has been providing support for them.
The Commission provides co-funding for afforestation under the Rural Development Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 . Member States can include such actions in their rural development programmes and allocate the necessary funding pursuant to their priorities and needs. After the expiration of this Regulation (2006), these measures will be continued in the framework of the new Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 of 20 September 2005, on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) .
The Commission also implements and supports a number of measures to reduce forest losses due to fire, including awareness raising, fire prevention, fire fighting, restoration after fires, information sharing and risk assessment.
The Commission is actively involved in numerous international processes aimed at the protection and/or better management of forests. In addition, it has been supporting a number of projects under Regulation (EC) No 2494/2000 of the Parliament and of the Council of 7 November 2000 on measures to promote the conservation and sustainable management of tropical forests and other forests in developing countries . The future of these measures after the expiration of this regulation (2006) is outlined in the Communication from the Commission titled “External Action: Thematic Programme For Environment and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources including Energy” . Under the EU Action Plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) , the Commission is engaging with major timber producing countries to address problems like corruption and illegal logging, which are among the main obstacles to forest conservation and sustainable use in developing countries.
As recognised in the Commission Communication titled “Winning the Battle Against Global Climate Change” , the contribution of deforestation to global greenhouse gas emissions is considerable. The Commission is exploring ways in which to address this issue in the post-2012 international climate policy framework.
The inclusion of emission reductions from Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) into the EU emission trading scheme would require an amendment to this Directive and is therefore unlikely for the second trading period which starts in 2008.
When considering the inclusion of LULUCF issues, the Commission will assess the uncertainties related to actual emission reductions from such activities as well as the way such activities are dealt with in the post-2012 international climate change co-operation.