(1a)

The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) makes no reference to a common Union forest policy and, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, the responsibility for forests lies with Member States. However, the TFEU confers on the Union shared competences, notably in the area of environment, which can include initiatives affecting forests and forestry.

(2)

The wider contribution of forests to the objectives set out in the Commission Communication of 11 December 2019 entitled ‘the European Green Deal’ (4), including to climate, biodiversity and sustainable bioeconomy necessitates a more inclusive and better coordinated Union forest governance structure that reflects all the objectives of the Commission Communication of 16 July 2021 entitled ‘New EU Forest Strategy for 2030’ (5) and their interlinkages.

(2)

The contribution of forests to the objectives set out in the Commission Communication of 11 December 2019 entitled ‘the European Green Deal’ (4), notably to climate, biodiversity as well as to bioeconomy necessitates a coordinated Union forest governance structure that reflects , inter alia, the objectives of the Commission Communication of 16 July 2021 entitled ‘New EU Forest Strategy for 2030’ (5) and their interlinkages , while making sure that those new goals have a clear legal basis, do not conflict with national competences and are supported by a comprehensive assessment of their impact on the forestry sector .

(2a)

The Standing Forestry Committee has, since its establishment, evolved into a central body for exchange of information among Member States and with the Commission on all aspects relating to forests, forest management and all forest-related policy areas. The Standing Forestry Committee had previously also been given comitology tasks, but the basic act conferring those comitology tasks on the Standing Forestry Committee has since expired. The Standing Forestry Committee should therefore be renamed as the Standing Forest and Forestry Expert Group (the ‘expert group’).

(4)

The most effective way of achieving a more inclusive and better coordinated Union forest governance structure is to broaden the scope and clarify the tasks and the composition of the Standing Forestry Committee.. The Standing Forestry Committee should also be renamed as the Standing Forest and Forestry Expert Group, in order to reflect those amendments. At the request of the Commission or of a Member State, it should address any issue or aspect concerning forests and forestry arising from various Union policies. It is therefore appropriate to ensure that Member States nominate representatives from the authorities that are competent for the specific policy objectives.

(4)

At the request of the Commission or of a Member State, the expert group should address any aspect concerning forests and forestry arising from various Union policies. It is therefore appropriate that participating representatives are able to represent the Member States interests on all relevant policy objectives.

(a)

to assist the Commission in the preparation of legislative proposals, guidelines or other Union policy initiatives relevant to forests and forestry, including in the implementation of the New EU Forest Strategy for 2030 and subsequent Union Forest Strategies ;

(a)

to assist and closely cooperate with, and to provide expertise and input to, the Commission in the preparation and implementation of legislative proposals, strategies, communications, guidelines or other Union policy initiatives relevant to forests and forestry, or that would have significant impact on forests or forestry within the Union;

(b)

to provide the Commission with advice and expertise, either on the initiative of the Commission or at the request of a Member State, with a view to supporting the wider contribution of forests and forestry to key Union objectives and initiatives, such as the European Green Deal, and to promoting coherence and synergies between Union policies relevant to forests and forestry ;

(b)

to provide the Commission with advice and expertise, either on the initiative of the Commission or the expert group, or at the request of a Member State, with a view to ensuring an adequate contribution of Member States’ forestry sector to Union objectives and initiatives, to promoting coherence and synergies as well as to eliminating existing inconsistencies between Union policies , and to addressing their cumulative impact and their compatibility with the subsidiarity and proportionality principles enshrined in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union ;

(c)

to promote cooperation between the Commission and the Member States on forests and forestry, including in support of measures and interventions under the common agricultural policy;

(c)

to enhance and boost cooperation between the Commission and the Member States on forests and forestry, including in support of measures and interventions under the common agricultural policy , notably to take into account aspects of sustainability and create synergies between forests and agriculture, as well as to enhance the socio-economic development of forest-dominant rural areas ;

(d)

to foster the exchange of knowledge, experience and good practices in the field of forests and forestry .

(d)

to foster the exchange of knowledge, experience and good practices , as well as acting as a forum for exchange of views on emerging issues and initiatives in the field of forests and forestry , and on the multiple functions of forests, including issues relevant to the wider forest-based sector, as well as to foster the exchange of views on applicability and implications of Union’s policies relevant to forests and forestry;

(da)

to seek and cooperate on synergies and avoid conflicts between national and Union policies related to forests and forestry, also taking into account other international developments;

(db)

to formulate opinions on legislative proposals, strategies, communications, guidelines or other Union policy initiatives relevant to forests and forestry, or that would have significant impact on forests or forestry within the Union; the Commission shall take those opinions in consideration when advancing forest-related policy objectives, and shall provide feedback on how it has taken into consideration those opinions.