This position sends a very negative signal to forest owners who carry out sustainable forest management, which is needed to provide society with all the benefits of forests, including the supply of materials that substitute fossils. The vote is in total contradiction with the realities of forest management since nearly every harvest and tending operation results in primary biomass removal from forests and these practices are needed for delivering high-quality timber. It also creates huge uncertainties on the future of the bioenergy sector, with impacts on the forest sector.
European forest owners do not understand that Parliament decides to tighten the rules for using a local and renewable source of energy in a context where the EU is struggling to get rid of fossil-dependency.
The proposal will now go to negotiations between the European Parliament, Member States and the Commission.
For more information, contact:
Maria Pohjala, Policy Adviser
+32473737038
