By Florian Marin

The European Economic and Social Committee is proposing that the new EU framework for forest monitoring should be sustainable, cost-effective and operationally feasible. It should also be timely, safe and secure, dynamic, inclusive and participatory in order to allow close cooperation between science and practice alongside better planning and evidence-based policy-making.

It is crucial to ensure complementarity and prevent duplication of data already covered by existing legislation such as climate and air policies, biodiversity regulations and the common agriculture policy.

When it comes to climate change, there is a need for long-term data alongside data on rural development, circular economy and science. It is important to ensure interoperability and the same granularity, technology and frequency especially when supplementary data are being collected in all EU Member States. Reducing the administrative burden and avoiding excessive red tape, such as multiple data collection and reporting, should be an ongoing concern. The same level of importance should be attached to economic, social and environmental forest data.

The importance of respecting private property rights and data ownership, particularly within the framework of the subsidiarity principle, cannot be overstated. Above all, it is public interest that should prevail in the forest data infrastructure.

Each EU Member State that benefits from forests should have a long-term forest plan which complements other forest and wood strategies, assuring a perfect match with SDGs. Taking into account the multilateral values of forests, social and economic aspects should be included in the structure of forest plans alongside the partnership principle and the involvement of civil society in the development and implementation of long-term forest plans.

The role of the Standing Forestry Committee should be strengthened and should include relevant actors from civil society.