On 24 June 2025, the EU Council adopted its General Approach to the proposed forest monitoring framework, emphasising importance of a bottom-up approach national data, and the need for simplification and respect of subsidiarity principle.
On 24 June 2025, the Council of the EU’s adopted during the Agriculture Council its General Approach on the proposed regulation for a European forest monitoring framework, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing legislative process.
The Council’s General Approach reflects months of intensive discussions among Member States, under the Belgian, Hungarian, and Polish Presidencies.
It was adopted with the support of 24 Members States, as Austria and Bulgaria abstained, while Germany voted against.
In preparation of the meeting of Agriculture Ministers, Austria, Finland, Latvia, Sweden, and Slovenia published a Joint statement expressing some of their pending reserves. The European Commission also expressed its view in a written statement.
Some of the main element of the General Approach are:
- Simplification and reduced burden through a bottom-up approach: National forest monitoring inventories will serve as the foundation for a EU-level approach. The framework will build on data already collected by national forest inventories and indicators are limited to sufficiently developed and relevant indicators. Indicators which added value has not been sufficiently demonstrated have been removed.
- Remote sensing and mapping: Given the unreliability and inaccuracy of forest information obtained through remote sensing data, it can not be the default first solution. Mapping should remain the responsibility of individual Member States, that would be better placed to develop cost-effective solutions best suited to their own specificities
- Forest units: the concept is removed, given its unclear added-value, , the challenges in interpreting forest units, data protection issues, and uncertainties about how forest units may evolve over time.
- Data harmonisation and role of ENFIN: the European National Forest Inventory Network (ENFIN) should be allowed to assist Member States in the harmonisation process. While the predefined data exchange format and data-sharing process will be established by means of a new implementing acts.
- Integrated long-term forest plans: the provision on voluntary integrated long-term national forest plans as been removed. Their purpose was considered unclear and such planning should remain under Member State competence.
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