Changes from plenary report to adopted text

RemovedDRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

AddedP10_TA(2025)0241

Removedon the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Decision 89/367/EEC setting up a Standing Forestry Committee

AddedStanding Forest and Forestry Expert Group

Removed(COM(2023)0727 – C90424/2023 – 2023/0410(COD))

AddedCommittee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

AddedPE766.936

AddedAmendments adopted by the European Parliament on 21 October 2025 on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Decision 89/367/EEC setting up a Standing Forestry Committee (COM(2023)0727 – C9-0424/2023 – 2023/0410(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

Change 1

RemovedThe European Parliament,

Removed– having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2023)0727),

Removed– having regard to Article 294(2) and Articles 43 and Article 192(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C90424/2023),

Removed– having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Removed– having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 20 March 2024,

Removed– after consulting the Committee of the Regions,

Removed– having regard to Rule 60 of its Rules of Procedure,

Removed– having regard to the joint deliberations of the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety and the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development under Rule 59 of the Rules of Procedure,

Removed– having regard to the report of the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety and the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A10-0175/2025),

Removed1. Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

Removed2. Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

Removed3. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Recital 1 a (new): (1a) The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) makes no reference to a common Union forest policy and, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, the responsibility for forests lies with Member States. However, the TFEU confers on the Union shared competences, notably in the area of environment, which can include initiatives affecting forests and forestry.

Change 2

ChangedRecital 2: (2) The contribution of forests to the objectives set out in the Commission Communication of 11 December 2019 entitled ‘the European Green Deal’ 4 , notably to climate, biodiversity as well as to bioeconomy necessitates a coordinated Union forest governance structure that reflects, inter alia, the objectives of the Commission Communication of 16 July 2021 entitled ‘New EU Forest Strategy for 2030’ 5 and their interlinkages, while making sure that those new goals have a clear legal basis, do not conflict with national competences and are supported by a comprehensive assessment of their impact on the forestry sector. / 4 COM(2019)0640. / 5 COM(2021)0527.

Recital 2 a (new): (2a) The Standing Forestry Committee has, since its establishment, evolved into a central body for exchange of information among Member States and with the Commission on all aspects relating to forests, forest management and all forest-related policy areas. The Standing Forestry Committee had previously also been given comitology tasks, but the basic act conferring those comitology tasks on the Standing Forestry Committee has since expired. The Standing Forestry Committee should therefore be renamed as the Standing Forest and Forestry Expert Group (the ‘expert group’).

Recital 4: (4) At the request of the Commission or of a Member State, the expert group should address any aspect concerning forests and forestry arising from various Union policies. It is therefore appropriate that participating representatives are able to represent the Member States interests on all relevant policy objectives.

Council Decision 89/367/EEC

Change 3

ChangedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2, Article 1 – paragraph 1: In order to ensure a close and effective cooperation between the Commission and the Member States on forests and the forestry sector in relation to all forest-relevant Union policy areas, a standing Forest and Forestry Expert groupGroup (the “expert group”), is hereby set up.

▸13 unchanged paragraphs

Council Decision 89/367/EEC

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3, Article 2 – paragraph 1: 1. The expert group shall advise the Commission on any issue or aspect concerning forests and forestry arising from the various relevant Union policies either on its own initiative or at the request of the representative of a Member State.

Council Decision 89/367/EEC

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3, Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point a: (a) to assist and closely cooperate with, and to provide expertise and input to, the Commission in the preparation and implementation of legislative proposals, strategies, communications, guidelines or other Union policy initiatives relevant to forests and forestry, or that would have significant impact on forests or forestry within the Union;

Council Decision 89/367/EEC

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3, Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point b: (b) to provide the Commission with advice and expertise, either on the initiative of the Commission or the expert group, or at the request of a Member State, with a view to ensuring an adequate contribution of Member States’ forestry sector to Union objectives and initiatives, to promoting coherence and synergies as well as to eliminating existing inconsistencies between Union policies, and to addressing their cumulative impact and their compatibility with the subsidiarity and proportionality principles enshrined in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union;

Council Decision 89/367/EEC

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3, Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point c: (c) to enhance and boost cooperation between the Commission and the Member States on forests and forestry, including in support of measures and interventions under the common agricultural policy, notably to take into account aspects of sustainability and create synergies between forests and agriculture, as well as to enhance the socio-economic development of forest-dominant rural areas;

Council Decision 89/367/EEC

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3, Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point d: (d) to foster the exchange of knowledge, experience and good practices, as well as acting as a forum for exchange of views on emerging issues and initiatives in the field of forests and forestry, and on the multiple functions of forests, including issues relevant to the wider forest-based sector, as well as to foster the exchange of views on applicability and implications of Union’s policies relevant to forests and forestry;

Council Decision 89/367/EEC

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3, Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point d a (new): (da) to seek and cooperate on synergies and avoid conflicts between national and Union policies related to forests and forestry, also taking into account other international developments;

Council Decision 89/367/EEC

Change 4

ChangedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3, Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point d b (new): (db) to formulate opinions on legislative proposals, strategies, communicationscommunications, guidelines or other Union policy initiatives relevant to forests and forestry, or that would have significant impact on forests or forestry within the Union; the Commission shall take those opinions in consideration when advancing forest-related policy objectives, and shall provide feedback on how it has taken into consideration those opinions.

Council Decision 89/367/EEC

Change 5

ChangedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3, Article 2 – paragraph 3: 3. The European Parliament and the Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission, may assign other temporary tasks to the expert group in connection with Union policies affecting forests and forestry.;forestry.

▸6 unchanged paragraphs

Council Decision 89/367/EEC

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4, Article 3 – paragraph 1: The expert group shall be composed of representatives of the Member States. Each Member State shall be invited and shall be strongly encouraged to designate national experts and to facilitate their participation in the meetings of the expert group.

Council Decision 89/367/EEC

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4, Article 3 – paragraph 2: Member States shall nominate their representatives, ensuring active engagement of their relevant authorities and that participating representatives are able to represent their respective Member State’s interests and experience on all relevant policy objectives.

Council Decision 89/367/EEC

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4, Article 3 – paragraph 3: The expert group shall be chaired by a representative of the Commission. The chair of the expert group may present its annual working plan to the European Parliament.