Commission proposes comprehensive monitoring to improve the resilience of European forests
The Commission is proposing a Forest Monitoring Law that will plug existing gaps in the information on European forests and create a comprehensive forest knowledge base, to allow Member States, forest owners, and forest managers to improve their response to growing pressures on forests and strengthen forest resilience.
Forests are an essential ally in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss, and are crucial for flourishing rural areas and bioeconomy. Unfortunately, Europe’s forests suffer from many different pressures, including climate change and unsustainable human activity.
Better monitoring will enable action to make forests more resistant to the cross-border threats of pests, droughts and wildfires that are exacerbated by climate change, enable new business models, such as carbon farming, and support compliance with agreed EU legislation. Ultimately, it will help strengthen the capacity of forests to fulfill their multiple environmental and socio-economic functions, including their role as natural carbon sinks.
