During the plenary session (5-8 October 2020) of the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate (06/10) and vote on the report Petri SARVAMAA (EPP, FI) on the European Forest Strategy.

Brussels

debate

plenary session

vote

TIMMERMANS, Frans (NL, EC)

environmental protection (T)

SARVAMAA, Petri (EPP, FI)

European Forest Strategy - The Way Forward: extracts from the debate (06/10) and from the vote on the report Petri SARVAMAA (EPP, FI)

Title: European Forest Strategy - The Way Forward: extracts from the debate (06/10) and from the vote on the report Petri SARVAMAA (EPP, FI) (I-196033)

Opening of the session Thursday 8 /10, Brussels, announcement of the votes

Panel of result : European Forest Strategy vote: in total 697, + 462, - 176, abstention 59

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of the European Green Deal, Look at the state of our forests. Look at what's happening with biodiversity in Europe. If we continue like this, there will be no pollinators anymore. How are you going to explain that to farmers when they say, let's keep the present agricultural policy? There will be no agriculture. There are no pollinators. There will be no agriculture. There's no water for the land. There will be no agriculture. If a storm sweeps away the top soil every time. And we need to look after our forests. Carbon sink is diminishing in Europe. We need to increase it. We need to look after the situation of our grasslands are peat lands of forests. And in that context, I believe it is wise to include carbon sink in our targets and to make sure we increase the health of our natural environment.

SOUNDBITE (English), Petri SARVAMAA (EPP, FI), rapporteur, The new EU forest strategy should act as an effective coordination tool between the various EU forest related policies. Taking into account the whole forest based value chain. Forests and the forest based value chain offer crucial climate benefits, such as the promotion of carbon sequestration, the storage of carbon in wood based products, and the substitution of fossil based raw materials and energy.

SOUNDBITE (English), Petri SARVAMAA (EPP, FI), rapporteur, The report calls for the protection of primary forests. Yes, indeed, it does. Contrary to some of the claims that the members of this chamber have received. And for the Commission, it calls to introduce a definition regarding old grown forests. It also emphasizes the important role of sustainable forest management and bio economy at a time when forests play a key role in offering sustainable solutions to the challenges of our time. And lastly, the report notes that the jobs within the sector are dependent on resilient and well managed forest ecosystems in the long term.