Stop bureaucracy that does not protect forests

Today, the EPP Group protected foresters from unnecessary paperwork by rejecting the Monitoring Framework for Resilient European Forests. The file does not align with our group’s efforts to reduce bureaucratic obstacles and make the Green Deal more realistic.

“We call for realistic and efficient forest protection that works on site. To achieve real action, we need simplification, not additional red tape. What seems like a promising framework for satellite surveillance of our European forests only adds more paperwork for the Member States. We need to prioritise simplification and fix complicated government processes so real action can take place. The proposed framework would impose an unnecessary additional burden on countries that are already doing a good job at protecting their forests,” states Alexander Bernhuber MEP, EPP Group lead negotiator on the Forest Monitoring law in the Parliament's Committee for Environment.

“We demand the Commission withdraw this file and revise any future legislative proposals that would only result in additional paperwork," he emphasised.

"Today’s vote marks the clear end of the Timmermans era and its forest monitoring law. Forests are a national competence, and we reminded the European Commission of this fact. Our European forests don’t need more rules from the Commission. The Commission should focus on targeted support for existing structures and strengthening member states in their efforts to protect forests, rather than creating more bureaucratic hurdles. I urge the Commission to rethink the approach and find targeted solutions that truly benefit our forests and the people who depend on them. Ursula von der Leyen declared 25 percent less bureaucracy. The Commission should therefore recall 100 percent of this law,” says MEP Stefan Köhler, EPP Group lead negotiator on the forest monitoring law in the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development.

The EPP Group is committed to effective and efficient forest protection, and we will continue to work towards a more streamlined and practical approach. By cutting red tape and fixing slow government processes, we can ensure that real action is taken to protect our forests and make the Green Deal more achievable.