Have your say about the new EU Forest Strategy
The European Commission has opened a public consultation about the new EU Forest Strategy. The consultation is open from January 25th until April 19th via this link. The Commission invites all European citizens and organisations to contribute to this consultation. Especially, they would like to receive input from a broad range of stakeholders, ranging from national authorities to businesses and private individuals.
Please also read: Ambitious EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030
Why a new EU Forest Strategy?
When the European Commission announced the European Green Deal, it included the announcement for a new EU Forest Strategy. This European Commission experts will develop this EU Forest Strategy in a way to comply and align with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. It will include all topics related to the forest cycle and promote forest ecosystem services. The aim of the strategy is to ensure healthy and resilient forests. This is for example necessary to halt biodiversity loss and mitigate climate change. Such healthy forests also help to reduce and control natural disasters and offer opportunities for local development to secure livelihoods. Furthermore it can even offer solutions to circular bio-economy.
The EU Forest Strategy is planned to support the international efforts to halt biodiversity decline, ensure sustainable usage of natural resources, and other international commitments. Furthermore, it will become a basis upon which a clear, consistent and holistic approach is formed for international cooperation and leadership to achieve these goals. With the public consultation, the European Commission would like to gather your opinions. This will help on how to concretely shape the strategy within this framework.
Let your voice be heard
The European Commission conducts the public consultation through an online questionnaire, please follow the link below. However, if you are unable to complete the questionnaire online, you can contact the European Commission directly via the email address provided on their website. Also, you can take the questionnaire in various languages.
European Wilderness Society encourages all our Wilderness Advocates to participate in this consultation. All across Europe, forests are under pressure from extensive exploitation. The deforestation rates in Europe, and across the entire world for that matter, continue to be alarmingly high. Support the initiatives that try to protect and preserve the last remaining natural forests.
Go the the European Commission public consultation page here.
Let the old forest grow, and the younger grow old.
Central European countries that got rid of their forests are all *Do as I say, not as I do!*