The new EU Framework for Forest Monitoring and Strategic Plans

ClientEarth argues that the proposed EU Framework for Forest Monitoring and Strategic Plans must prioritize the accessibility of remote sensing data and public transparency to combat forestry crime and mismanagement. The document highlights a significant decline in the carbon sequestration capacity of EU forests by 28% between 2013 and 2018 and criticizes the low rate of compliance checks under the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), where 99% of domestically-harvesting companies were excluded from checks between 2015 and 2020. ClientEarth advocates for a common EU-wide platform for real-time data to support risk-based compliance planning and the 'substantiated concerns' mechanism for public reporting of illegal logging.

• EU forests experienced a significant drop in carbon sequestration capacity between 2013 and 2018, despite an overall increase in forest cover.
• The enforcement of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) is severely limited by a lack of personnel and funding, resulting in the vast majority of domestic operators avoiding compliance checks.
• Remote sensing is identified as a powerful tool for monitoring, but its effectiveness is currently hindered by poor data accessibility and a lack of coordination.
• Public trust in forest management is undermined in Member States like Poland and Romania due to limited access to Forest Management Plans (FMPs) and a lack of institutional control over state-owned forests.
• The 'substantiated concerns' mechanism under the EUTR is a highly effective enforcement tool, with 480 concerns reported between 2017 and 2019 leading to over 600 enforcement actions.
• The EU market for timber is dominated by internal production, with imports accounting for less than 20% of the market share.

APA

ClientEarth (2022). The new EU Framework for Forest Monitoring and Strategic Plans. https://www.clientearth.org/media/qfxbyczl/eu-framework-for-forest-monitoring-and-strategic-plans-call-for-evidence.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. The new EU Framework for Forest Monitoring and Strategic Plans. 2022. https://www.clientearth.org/media/qfxbyczl/eu-framework-for-forest-monitoring-and-strategic-plans-call-for-evidence.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=The new EU Framework for Forest Monitoring and Strategic Plans |date=May 2022 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/qfxbyczl/eu-framework-for-forest-monitoring-and-strategic-plans-call-for-evidence.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearth2022new, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{The new EU Framework for Forest Monitoring and Strategic Plans}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/qfxbyczl/eu-framework-for-forest-monitoring-and-strategic-plans-call-for-evidence.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }