EU Forestry Strategy September 23, 2013 12:00 am The new EU Forestry Strategy, replacing the 1998 Strategy, was adopted by written procedure today (23 September). The Strategy states that all forests across the EU must be managed according to the Sustainable Forestry Management (SFM) principles by 2020. With forests and other woodland covering around 42% of the EU land area, the strategy is significant. The Forestry Strategy stresses the need to adopt a holistic approach and urges national capitals to use Rural Development funds to prioritise investment in modernising forestry technologies, develop its contribution to bio-economy, adapt to climate change and conserve genetic resources. Following the announcement of this new strategy Member States could, under the new CAP 2020 rules, include in their rural development ‘enhancing competitiveness of all types of agriculture and the sustainable management of forests’. Forestry management is also expected to feature strongly in the European Innovation Partnerships (EIP) which will promote resource efficiency, low emission and climate friendly farming practices. Meanwhile, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) has found that the €530 million of EU support for the improvement of the economic value of forests for 2007-2013 period provided ‘no tangible results’. Auditors found faults in the design, implementation and monitoring of the measure.
