The EU Forest Strategy

19 Pages·2017·1.22 MB·English

Article
Coordinating the Uncoordinated: The EU
Forest Strategy
FilipAggestam1,*andHelgaPülzl2
1 EuropeanForestInstitute—ResilienceProgramme,PlatzderVereintenNationen7,53113Bonn,Germany
2 EuropeanForestInstitute—CentralEasternEuropeanRegionalOffice(EFICEEC),InstituteofForest,
EnvironmentalandNaturalResourcePolicy,DepartmentofEconomicsandSocialSciences,
UniversityofNaturalResourcesandLifeSciences,Vienna(BOKU),Feistmantelstrasse4,1180Vienna,
Austria;[email protected]
* Correspondence:filip.aggestam@efi.int
Received:18January2018;Accepted:1March2018;Published:6March2018
Abstract: ThesecondEuropeanUnion(EU)ForestStrategyrespondstonewchallengesfacingboth
forestsandtheforest-basedsectorwhichhighlightstheEU’sneedforapolicyframeworkensuring
coordinationandcoherenceofforest-relatedpolicies. Theobjectiveofthepresentarticleistoanalyse
whether the new Strategy contributes towards horizontal policy coherence of EU forest-related
policies, given its shared and exclusive competences. This is achieved by comparing European
CommissionandforestindustrypolicyprioritiesasarticulatedintheStrategyandthroughresearch
carriedoutfortherecentCumulativeCostAssessment(CCA)offorest-basedindustries. Resultsfrom
the comparative analysis demonstrate that the Strategy does not address many EU policies and
policyinstrumentsthataffectthewholeforestvaluechainandthatitclearlyomitsexistingEUpolicy
instrumentobjectivesthatentailsignificantcostsfortheforest-basedindustry. Itisthereforeargued
that without coordinating collective EU goals and gathering strong political support, it is at best
extremelydifficultoratworstimpossible,toachievecoherenceforEUforest-relatedpoliciesacross
thewholeforestvaluechain. ImprovingcoherenceofUnionforest-relatedpolicieswillrequirethe
Strategy to address more policy areas and instruments, including clearly defined parameters of
whatconstitutesanEUforest-relatedpolicy. ThesepressingneedsreachbeyondwhattheStrategy
presentlysetsouttoachieve.
Keywords:forestpolicy;EuropeanCommission;policycoordination;policycoherence;forestindustry
1. IntroducingaStrategyforEurope’sForests
TheEuropeanCommission(EC)adoptedthesecondEuropeanUnion(EU)ForestStrategyin
2013,respondingtoadditionalchallengesfacingforestsandtheforest-basedsector[1]. TheStrategy
providesanupdatedandintegrativeframeworkinresponsetotheincreasingdemandsonforests,
addressingchangingsocietalandpolicyprioritiessincethefirstStrategywaspublishedin1998[2].
It has been frequently noted that the previous EU Forestry Strategy has had a limited impact on
national forest policy [3–6]. The prevailing view is that the first Strategy simply had insufficient
political traction to facilitate the operational change needed to achieve policy cooperation across
sectorsandEUpolicies(horizontal)andcoordinationbetweendifferentgovernancelevels(vertical).
In addition, previous analysis of actors’ preferences towards improving policy integration have
revealedinstitutionalconstraintsbetweentheEUanditsMemberStates[7–9].
BynowlinkingforeststootherdomainsofEUcompetence,theECarguesforincreasedpolicy
coordinationonforestpolicy. IncontrasttothefirstStrategyanditsassociatedforestactionplan[4,10],
thenewStrategyhasventuredevenfurtheroutoftheforesttoencompassnotonlyruraldevelopment,
butincreasinglyalsotheenvironment,forest-basedindustries,energyproductionandclimatechange.
Forests 2018,9,125;doi:10.3390/f9030125 www.mdpi.com/journal/forests
Forests 2018,9,125 2of19
Itfurthermoretakesintoaccountnewdevelopments,includingtheEurope2020strategyforgrowth
andjobs[11],theresourceefficiencyroadmap[12],industrialpolicy[12–15],theEUclimateandenergy
package[16],planthealth[17]andthebiodiversityandbioeconomystrategies[14,18]. Theinclusionof
additionalEUpolicyobjectiveswasdrivenbythedemandforamoreholisticapproachandincreasing
recognitionthatpoliciesnotdirectlyaimedatforestsarehavingasignificanteffectontheutilisationof
forestresources. TheseadditionalobjectiveswereincludedbecausetheEUanditsMemberStatesare
endeavouringtogeneratesynergiesbetweendifferentEUpoliciestoenhancepolicycoherence[7]as
evidencedbytheStrategy’sstatementthat“theEUneedsapolicyframeworkthatcoordinatesand
ensures coherence of forest-related policies and allows synergies with other sectors that influence
forestmanagement”(p. 4). Thisisfurtheremphasisedinthemulti-annualimplementationplanforthe
Strategy(ForestMAP),wherecoordinationishighlightedasbeingacoreobjective[19](p. 7). Apress
statementissuedbyvariousEuropeanfarmersandforestownersassociations(CEPF,EUSTAFORand
COPACOGECA)andtheEuropeanForestInstitute,releasedinthewakeoftheEuropeanParliament’s
publichearingreviewoftheEUForestStrategyon4thDecember2017,alsopointedtowardstheneed
fortheStrategytobea“referenceforthedevelopmentofEUforest-relatedpolicies”.
ThefocusofthisarticleisthusoninteractionsbetweenpolicyobjectivesofEU-levelforest-related
policyinstrumentsascharacterisedbytheprioritiesexpoundedintheEUForestStrategy. Whilepolicy
conflictsareunavoidableindecision-making, inparticularwhenconsideringcross-sectoralpolicy
impactsbetweenforestryandothersectors,itisreasonabletoaskwhethertheStrategyandtheForest
MAP—principallyseenbytheEUasacoordinationmechanism—contributestowardspolicycoherence
ofitsownpolicies.Thisquestionofhorizontalcoordinationofforest-relatedpolicyobjectivesoftheEU
ForestStrategyhasnotbeenresearched,albeitscholarshavelookedintotheimportanceofforest-related
policiesintheEU(Pülzl,etal.[20],AggestamandLovric[21]andAggestam,etal.[22]).Morein-depth
reviewsofinstitutionalarrangementsinEU-levelforestpolicycanbefoundinLazdinis,etal.[23],
Pülzl and Lazdinis [24], and Pülzl and Dominguez [8] and will not be the focus of this paper.
This research topic is of particular importance as currently a consistent regulatory EU approach
onforestryandtheforest-basedsectordoesnotexist[20]. Finally,itshouldbenotedthatthispaper
limitsitselftotheanalysisofEUpolicyobjectivesarticulatedbytheregulatoryframeworkshaving
animpactontheforest-basedsector. Thisprecludesanalysisofhowcoordinationandcoherenceis
achievedbetweentheEU’sandMemberStates’forestpolicyobjectives,anaimthatthenewStrategy
wantstoachieve, forwhichtheCommissionhasissuedanEUtendertospecificallyshedlighton
thosequestions.
In methodological terms, this paper is based on the analysis of documents prioritised in the
EUForestStrategyandresearchcarriedoutforarecentECCumulativeCostAssessment(CCA)of
forest-basedindustries[25]—wherethelatterwereinvolvedinprioritisingEUforest-relatedpolicies
and policy instruments. Gap analysis is employed to demonstrate how the Strategy has failed to
addressallrelevantEUpoliciesandregulatoryframeworksinforce. Thissubsequentlydemonstrates
thattheEUForestStrategydoesnotintegrateallimportantpoliciesandpolicyinstrumentsfound
relevantfromaforestindustryperspectiveandthatitomitspolicyobjectivesrelevanttotheindustry.
ThecoordinationofallrelevantEUpolicyobjectivesconsequentlyremainsincomplete. Havingsaid
this,theauthorsargueforenhancedcoordinationofEUpolicyobjectivesthatincludesthewholeforest
valuechaintoimprove,orattheveryleast,achievepolicycoherencewithintheUnion. Thisisnot
onlyimportantbecauseofthesizeablelegalframeworkthataffectsforest-basedindustries,butalso
duetotheincreasingtiesbetweentimberandwoodproductproducersaswellasthecentralroleof
theforest-basedsectorinrealisingaEuropeanbioeconomy.
2. Methodology
Theanalysis,usingathree-stepapproach,buildsonthereviewoftheEUForestStrategyand
onresearchconductedfortheCCA[25]inanefforttoimproveunderstandingofhowtheStrategy
promoteshorizontalcoordinationofforest-relatedpolicy.
Forests 2018,9,125 3of19
First, all policy documents that are directly noted in the EU Forest Strategy were compiled
and grouped into policy domains (see Table 1). These policy domains were, whenever possible,
explicitlylinkedtoareaswheretheEUhascompetence(e.g., biodiversity, energy, climateandthe
environmentetc.).ThisalsoreferstopastworkdoneontheanalysisofEUforest-relatedpolicies[20–22].
Second, an extensive and systematic review of policy documents was undertaken and all
forest-relevant EU policy instruments (covering up to 570 policy documents) were identified
(see Supplementary Materials). This was done in the context of the CCA, which was part of a
follow-uptotheongoingRegulatoryFitnessandPerformance(REFIT)initiative[26],aimingatmaking
EUlegislationlessburdensome.Thecriterionforapolicydocumenttobeconsideredasrelevantforthe
analysiswasitsapplicabilitytotheEUcontext. Thismeansthatpolicydocumentswereonlytakeninto
account,whentheyhadclearrelevancetotheforest-basedsector. Inaddition,andmostimportantly,
the work conducted for the CCA included several iterative steps through which forest sector
representativesprioritised245policyentries(e.g.,antitrust,emissionstrading,wastemanagementand
timbertrade)basedonthepotentialcostimpactonforest-basedindustries(seeRiveraLeon,etal.[25]
formoreinformation). Eachpolicyentryoftenincludedmorethanonepolicydocument(legislative
andnon-legislative)acrosseightpolicydomains(seeTable2). Theprioritisationexerciseinvolved
aniterativerankingofeachpolicyentry(usinga1–5Likertscale)andbasedoninputsfromrelevant
members of EC General Directorates (DGs), representative organisations (e.g., Confederation of
European Paper Industries and the European Confederation of Woodworking Industries) and,
most crucially, a representative sub-set of forest-based companies covering the forest value chain.
Thismeansthatthepolicyinstrumentsthatwerereviewedinthisresearchhavebeenextensivelyand
uniquelyverifiedasrelevantbytheforest-basedindustry.
Third,theresultsofthefirstdocumentanalysiswerecompared—forgapanalysispurposes—with
datacollectedandanalysedbytheauthorsinthecontextoftheCCAemployinganExcelspreadsheet.
This allowed for in-depth analysis of the characteristics and coherence of the addressed policies
in the EU Forest Strategy and the EU policy instruments prioritised by the forest-based industry
as well as a comparative analysis of their objectives and potential synergies and/or divergences.
Thepurposeofthisstepwastodemonstrateconflictingandsynergeticpolicyobjectivesaffectingthe
forest-basedsectorfromanEUperspective(seeTable3). Thisalsoallowedforacomparisonbetween
regulatoryframeworksseenasrelevantbytheforest-basedindustriesascomparedtothosehaving
beenprioritisedbytheECintheStrategy. OnelimitationoftheaboveisthatitonlycoversEUpolicies
(thehorizontalpolicymix),whileexcludingnationalpolices. Theanalysisoftheverticalpolicymixis
beyondthescopeofthisarticle. Moreover,thepolicyreviewandprioritisationfortheCCAdidnot
focusonforestry,butratheronprimary,secondaryandtertiaryprocessingofwood-basedproducts
andtheirrelatedpoliciesandpolicyinstruments. Theanalysiswasadditionallyconstrainedtowhen
theStrategywaspublishedin2013,meaningthatmorerecentpolicyinstrumentswerenecessarily
excluded(e.g.,EUpolicyframeworkforclimateandenergyintheperiodfrom2020to2030). Itcan
furthermorebenotedthatthelargevolumeofpolicydocumentsanddomainsthathaveanimpact
ontheforest-basedsectormakesitimpracticabletoprovideadetailedreviewwithinthescopeof
one paper. The reader is also referred to other publications on EU forest-related policy, such as
Pülzl,etal.[20],AggestamandLovric[21]andAggestam,etal.[22].
Inbrief,thisarticlebeginswithapresentationofasystematicreviewoftheEUForestStrategy
and the CCA. Following this, a gap analysis is conducted to assess how effectively the EU Forest
Strategycontributestothehorizontalcoordinationofpolicyobjectives. Thediscussionandclosing
sectiondiscusswaysinwhichtoimprovepolicycoordinationthatmaycontributetocoherencewithin
thebroadercontextofanEUforest-relatedpolicyandpresentsomeconcludingremarks.
Forests 2018,9,125 4of19
3. ResultsandAnalysis
3.1. TheEUForestStrategy
TheEUForestStrategyprovidesgeneralguidelinesforanEUforestpolicy[1],withtheaimto
coordinateotherEUforest-relatedpolicies. TheStrategyrecallskeyprinciplesrelatedtosustainable
forest management(SFM)andaddressesanumber oftopicsthatinclude competitivenessandjob
creation,forestprotectionanddeliveringforestecosystemservicesthroughamultifunctionalapproach.
ItexplicitlynotesdomainsofEUcompetenceaswellasrelevantprocessesandplatformsthrough
whichcoordinationshouldtakeplace,examplesbeingtheStandingForestryCommittee(SFC),theCivil
DialogueGrouponForestryandCork,andtheExpertGrouponForest-basedindustriesandSectorally
RelatedIndustrialissues[19,27].
TheStrategyfurthermorearticulatesanumberofobjectivesfor2020,emphasisingtheneedto
nationallyandgloballymanageforestsaccordingtoSFMprinciples;balancevariousforestfunctions
tomeetalldemandsanddelivervitalecosystemservices;provideabasisforforestryandthewhole
forest-basedvaluechaintobecompetitiveandcontributetotheeconomy. Forthelatterobjective,
theblueprintforEUforest-basedindustries—whichaccompaniedtheStrategy—underlinedanumber
ofchallengesfortheindustry[28]. Thepolicyobjectivesfor2020areaddressedthrougheightpriority
areas(seeBox1).
Box1.PriorityareasidentifiedbytheEUForestStrategy.
• Contributingtomajorsocietalobjectives:
(1) Supportingourruralandurbancommunities.
(2) FosteringthecompetitivenessandsustainabilityoftheEU’sforest-basedindustries,bioenergyand
thewidergreeneconomy.
(3) Forestsinachangingclimate.
(4) Protectingforestsandenhancingecosystemservices.
• Improvingtheknowledgebase:
(5) Whatforestsdowehaveandhowaretheychanging?
(6) Newandinnovativeforestryandadded-valueproducts.
• Coordinationandcommunication:
(7) Workingtogethertocoherentlymanageandbetterunderstandourforests.
(8) Forestsfromaglobalperspective.
While the Strategy and its multi-annual implementation plan (Forest MAP) recognise the
complex and fragmented forest-policy environment, its priority areas cover a wide range of
possiblyconflictingactivitiesandgoals,rangingfromtheapplicationofthe‘cascadinguseofwood’
principle,useofforestbiomassforenergy,carbonsequestration,forestresiliencetoclimatechange,
haltingglobaldeforestationandthevaluationofecosystemservices. Itis,however,theactionsand
targets of the Forest MAP that bring us to the conundrum at the heart of the EU Forest Strategy.
More precisely, the Strategy stresses the need to “enhance policy coherence and consistency” (p. 3)
while abdicating responsibility due to the principle of subsidiarity. The solution for the complex
forest governance structures has instead been to improve policy coordination to attain coherence.
Thiscomesfromthefactthatforestsfulfilseveral,often-conflictingobjectives(e.g.,regulatingwater
quality,biodiversityprotectionandrawmaterialsforpaper,constructionandenergy). Manyofthese
forestfunctionsfallunderdistinctdomainswheretheEUiscompetent,suchasenergy,agriculture,
environment,climateandwater. Forestsperse,however,remainoutsidetherealmofits(exclusive
Forests 2018,9,125 5of19
andshared)competences,whichisreflectedinthenumberofDirectoratesGenerals—atpresentmore
thaneight—involvedwithforest-relatedissuesintheEC.Thisdemonstratestheneedforcoordination.
The policy documents that are explicitly referenced by the Strategy are listed in Table 1 with
sevendifferentpolicydomainsbeingaddressedwhichaccordinglyplayaroleforforestpolicyinthe
EU.Twoadditionalareas,coveringdataandinformationservicesaswellasrelevantprocessesand
platformsreferencedbytheStrategy,havealsobeenincludedinTable1. Forest-focuseddocuments
presentthelargestnumberofdocumentsreferredtoandtheseincludenotonlythepreviousStrategy
andrelatedbackgroundworkingdocuments,butalsoplanthealthlegislation,tradeandclimate-related
forestlegislation. Fromaforestindustryperspective,theStrategymostlyreferstostrategiesthatmake
amoregeneralreferencetotheindustry. Interestingly,itdoesnotrefertoclimate-andenergy-related
legislation,butonlytheKyotoProtocolandrelatedstrategies. Inrelationtoenvironmentalpolicies,
it singles out the Natura 2000 legislation, the overarching EU Environmental Action Programme,
theBiodiversityStrategyandinternationalagreements. Again,environmentallegislationinrelationto
wastemanagementandforestproducts,forinstance,isnotaddressedalthoughitdoesrefertothe
waterframeworkdirective(seeTable1).
Table1.Policiesandpolicyinstrumentsexplicitlynotedinthe2013EUForestStrategy.
PolicyDomainandDocument(s)
1.FOREST-FOCUSED
• 1998ForestStrategy(COM(1998)649,CouncilResolution1999/C56/01).
• ForestActionPlan2007-2011(COM(2006)302)
• Staffworkingdocument:AnewEUForestStrategy:forforestsandtheforest-basedsector(SWD(2013)342)
• AblueprintfortheEUforest-basedindustries(SWD(2013)343)
• EUForestCommunicationStrategy
• LandUse,Land-UseChangeandForestry(LULUCF)(DecisionNo529/2013/E)
• GreenPaperonForestProtectionandInformation(COM(2010)66)
• PlantHealth(e.g.,Directive2000/29/EC)
• REDD+andFLEGT(Regulation2173/2005)
• EUTimberRegulation(Regulation(EU)No995/2010)
2.AGRICULTURE
• RuralDevelopment(e.g.,Regulation1303/2013,1305/2013and1306/2013)
3.PRODUCTSANDINDUSTRY
• AStrongerEuropeanIndustryforGrowthandEconomicRecovery(COM(2012)582)
• IntegratedIndustrialPolicyfortheGlobalisationEra(COM(2010)614)
• BioeconomyStrategy(COM(2012)60)
• ResourceEfficiencyRoadmap(COM(2011)571)
4.CLIMATEANDENERGY
• EUStrategyonAdaptationtoClimateChange(COM(2013)216)
• EUClimateandEnergyPackage(e.g.,COM(2010)265)
• KyotoProtocol
5.ENVIRONMENT
• 7thEUEnvironmentActionProgramme(Decision1386/2013/EU)
• Natura2000(e.g.,Directive2009/147/ECandCouncilDirective92/43/EEC)
• LIFE+(Regulation1293/2013)
• 2020BiodiversityStrategy(COM(2011)244)
• ConventiononBiologicalDiversityandtheAichitargets
• UnitedNationsConventiontoCombatDesertification
• WaterFrameworkDirective(Directive2000/60/EC)
6.RESEARCH
• 7thResearchFrameworkProgramme(Decision1982/2006/EC)
• Horizon2020(Regulation1291/2013)
Forests 2018,9,125 6of19
Table1.Cont.
7.EMPLOYMENT
• EUROPE2020—Astrategyforsmart,sustainableandinclusivegrowth(COM(2010)2020)
8.DATAANDINFORMATIONSERVICES
• ForestInformationSystemofEurope:
EUForestFireInformationSystem
(cid:35) EuropeanForestDataCentre
(cid:35) EuropeanSoilDataCentre
(cid:35) IntegratedEnvironmentalandEconomicAccountingforForests
• (cid:35)InfrastructureforSpatialInformationintheEuropeanCommunity(INSPIRE)(Directive2007/2/EC)
• SharedEnvironmentalInformationSystem(SEIS)(COM(2008)46)
• Copernicus(Regulation377/2014)
9.PROCESSESAND/ORPLATFORMS
• FORESTEUROPE
• UnitedNationsFrameworkConventiononClimateChange
• Forest-basedSectorTechnologyPlatform
• StandingCommitteeonAgriculturalResearch(SCAR)
• EuropeanInnovationPartnershiponAgriculturalProductivityandSustainability
• StandingForestryCommittee(SFC)(CouncilDecision89/367/EEC)
• AdvisoryGrouponForestryandCork(CommissionDecision2004/391/EC)
• HabitatCommittee
• ExpertGrouponNatura2000
• AdvisoryCommitteeonForest-basedIndustries(CommissionDecision97/837/EC)
Intermsofresearch,jobsandgrowth,theStrategyreferstopolicyinstrumentsthatsetupthe
Horizon2020programmeandtheEU2020strategyrelatingtogrowth. Datainformationservices
with regard to where forest-related data is collected and/or made available, as well as legislation
providing for spatial data infrastructure and the Earth Observation Programme, are highlighted.
Finally, the review of the Strategy found that it not only notes important forest-related political
processesinthepan-Europeancontext(e.g.,ForestEurope),theglobalclimateagreementUNFCCC,
but also committees and platforms that are important in the EU context, such as the SFC,
HabitatCommittee,Forest-basedSectorTechnologyPlatformandothers.
3.2. CumulativeCostAssessmentoftheForest-BasedIndustries
The policy review for the CCA included a large number of policies and policy instruments
(seeSupplementaryMaterials).Table2presentstheoutputfromtheprioritisationprocess,coveringeight
policydomainsandassociateddocumentsnotedasthemostrelevantbyforest-basedindustries.Theseset
theframeworkconditionsforhowtheforest-basedsectorandassociatedindustriescanand/orare
expectedtooperate[25].
The most important policy domain for forest-based industry relates to products and their
regulatoryrequirements. Amongstsuchproduct-relatedpoliciesandinstrumentsarerequirements
regardingproductperformance,humanhealthprotection,packaging,constructionaswellassome
aspectsrelatedtopublicworkscontractsandthebuildingofasinglemarketforgreenproducts.Froma
forest-basedindustryperspective,policydomainsofsecondtierimportancecovertheenvironment,
climateandenergy. Theseprincipallyrefertoindustrialemissions,airquality,wastemanagement
legislationwhichincludesenvironmentalliabilityissues,phytosanitaryimportrulesandNatura2000.
Itfurthermorecoversemissiontrading,energylegislationandbiomassmobilisation.
Forests 2018,9,125 7of19
Table2.PoliciesandpolicyinstrumentsprioritisedbyForest-basedIndustries*.
PolicyDomainandDocument(s)
1.COMPETITION
Measuresaffectingsectoralcompetitiveness
• RevisedStateaidguidelines(financialcompensationforindirectemissions)(SWD/2012/131)
• GuidelinesonStateaidforenvironmentalprotectionandenergy2014–2020(2014/C200/01)
2.CLIMATEANDENERGY
Climatechange
• EUEmissionTradingSystem(Decision1359/2013/EU;2009/29/EC;2003/87/EC;96/61/E)
• CommissiondecisiononthestandardcapacityutilisationfactorpursuanttoArticle18(2)ofDecision2011/278/EU
(CommissionDecision2013/447/EU)
• Policyframeworkforclimateandenergyintheperiodfrom2020to2030(COM/2014/15)
• Addressingthechallengesofdeforestationandforestdegradationtotackleclimatechangeandbiodiversityloss
(COM/2008/645)
• LandUse,LandUseChangeandForestry(LULUCF)(Decision529/2013/EU)
Energy
• RenewableEnergyDirective(Directive2009/28/EC;Directive2001/77/EC;Directive2003/30/EC)
• EnergyEfficiencyDirective(2012/27/ECandCouncilDirective2013/12/EU;Directive2004/8/EC)
• ThirdEnergyPackage
• EnergyTaxationDirective(Directive2003/96/EC)
Other
• Reportonindirectland-usechangerelatedtobiofuelsandbioliquids(COM/2010/811)
• Reportonsustainabilityrequirementsfortheuseofsolidandgaseousbiomasssourcesinelectricity,heatingand
cooling(COM/2010/11)
• BiomassActionPlan(COM/2005/628)
3.ENVIRONMENT
Industrialemissions
• IndustrialEmissionsDirective(Directive2010/75/EU)
• BestAvailableTechniquesReferences(BREFs)
AirQuality
• CleanAirLegislativepackage(COM/2013/918)
• AirQualityFrameworkDirective(Directive96/62/EC)
• NationalEmissionCeilings(NEC)(Directive2001/81/EC)
• AmbientairqualityandcleanerairforEurope(Directive2008/50/EC)
WasteManagement
• WasteFrameworkDirective(Directive2008/98/EC)
• WasteWaterTreatmentDirective(Directive91/271/EEC)
• PackagingandPackagingWasteDirective(Directive94/62/EC)
• Landfillofwaste(Directive99/31/EC)
Environment
• Environmentalliabilitywithregardtothepreventionandremedyingofenvironmentaldamage(Directive
2004/35/CE)
• PhytosanitaryImportRegulation(e.g.,InternationalStandardsforPhytosanitaryMeasuresNo.15(ISPM15)
developedthroughtheInternationalPlantProtectionConvention)
• 7thEnvironmentActionProgramme(Decision1386/2013/EU)
• Natura2000(includingHabitatsDirective92/43;BirdsDirective2009/147)
4.FOREST-FOCUSED
Measuresconcernedwithillegallyloggedwood
• EUTimberRegulation(Regulation995/2010,CommissionImplementingRegulation607/2012andCommission
DelegatedRegulation363/2012)
• FLEGTRegulation(CouncilRegulation2173/2005;CommissionRegulation1024/2008)
• AblueprintfortheEUForest-basedIndustries(woodworking,furniture,pulpandpapermanufacturingand
converting,printing)(SWD/2013/343)
• Innovativeandsustainableforest-basedindustriesintheEU—AcontributiontotheEU’sgrowthandjobsstrategy
(COM/2008/113)
Forests 2018,9,125 8of19
Table2.Cont.
5.EMPLOYMENT
HealthandSafetyatWork
• WorkingTimeDirective(Directive2003/88/EC)
• Healthandsafetyatwork(Directive89/391/EECamendedby2007/30/EC)
• Firstlistofindicativeoccupationalexposurelimitvalues(Directive2000/39/EC)
• Secondlistofindicativeoccupationalexposurelimitvalues(Directive2006/15/EC)
• Thirdlistofindicativeoccupationalexposurelimitvalues(Directive2009/161/EC)
6.PRODUCTSANDINDUSTRY
Production
• EUEco-label(RegulationNo880/92;1980/2000;66/2010)
• CommissionRecommendationontheuseofcommonmethodstomeasureandcommunicatethelifecycle
environmentalperformanceofproductsandorganisations(2013/179/EU)
Protectionofhumanhealth
• Generalproductsafety(Directive2001/95/EC;Commissioncommunication2014/C220/02;Directive
87/357/EEC)
• Registration,Evaluation,AuthorisationandRestrictionofChemicals(REACH)(Regulation1907/2006;
CommissionImplementingDecision2013/505/EU)
• BiocidalProductRegulation(ECHA)(Regulation528/2012)
• Regulationonclassification,labellingandpackagingofsubstancesandmixtures(CLPRegulation)(Regulation
1272/2008)
Packaging
• Regulationonmaterialsandarticlesintendedtocomeintocontactwithfood(Regulation1935/2004)
• GoodManufacturingPracticeformaterialsandarticlesintendedtocomeincontactwithfood(Commission
Regulation2023/2006)
• TobaccoProductsDirective(Directive2001/37/EC;2014/40/EU)
Construction
• ConstructionProductsRegulation(CPR)(Regulation305/2011;89/106/EEC)
• Energyperformanceofbuildings(CommissionDelegatedRegulation244/2012;Directive2010/31/EU;
2002/91/EC)
• Strategyforthesustainablecompetitivenessoftheconstructionsectoranditsenterprises(COM/2012/433)
• Resourceefficiencyopportunitiesinthebuildingsector(COM/2014/445)
Othermeasures
• Publicworkscontracts,publicsupplycontractsandpublicservicecontracts(Directive2004/18/EC)
• BuildingtheSingleMarketforGreenProductsFacilitatingbetterinformationontheenvironmentalperformance
ofproductsandorganisations(COM/2013/196)
7.TRANSPORT
• Sulphurcontentofmarinefuels(Directive2012/33/EU;Directive2005/33/EC;Directive1999/32/EC)
• WasteShipment(Regulation1013/2006)
• Roadsafety:dimensionsandmaximumweightsauthorisedforbothnationalandinternationaljourneys(Directive
2015/719,2002/7/EC;96/53/EC,Regulation661/2009;1230/2012)
8.TRADE
• TradeDefenceInstruments(e.g.,anti-dumping(Regulation1225/2009)andanti-subsidy(Regulation597/2009))
• TariffsrelatedtoF-BImaterial,semi-productsandfinalproducts(Regulation2658/87,2015/1754,SWD/2013/343)
*SeeRiveraLeón,etal.[25]foramoredetailedbreakdownoftheprioritisationacrossvaluechains.
In relation to forest-focused documents, the EU Timber Regulation, the FLEGT Regulation,
policy documents referring to forest-based industries themselves and the EU’s growth and jobs
strategywerealldeemedimportantbyindustry. Inaddition,employmentlegislationwithregardsto
workinghours,healthandsafetyaswellasalistofoccupationalexposurelimitvalueswereidentified
askeyalongwithtransportissuessuchasroadsafety,wasteshipmentandthesulphurcontentof
marinefuels. Finally,inrelationtotradeandcompetition,tradedefenceinstruments,tariffsandstate
aidguidelineswerenotedasbeinghighlyrelevantforforest-basedindustries.
Forests 2018,9,125 9of19
3.3. BetweenGapsandIntegration—AnAnalysis
Results from the analysis of the Strategy and the CCA (see Tables 1 and 2) were compared to
identifyhowtheEUForestStrategycontributestothecoordinationofEUpolicyobjectives(seeTable3).
Severalpoliciesandpolicyinstrumentswereidentifiedasimportantinbothcases, whichpointed
towards similar prioritisation from both a policy-making and industry perspective. This includes
policydomainssuchasclimateandenergy,environmentandforest-focusedpoliciesandinstruments.
Forests 2018, 9, x FOR PEER REVIEW 10 of 19
However, the comparison revealed that the EC did not prioritise the same policies and policy
instrduommeainntss sauschfo raess tc-lbimasaeted ainndd uesnterrygy(s, eeenFviirgounrmee1n)t. aTnhdi sfowreosut-lfdocususegdg epsotlitchieast apnodli ciynsctrouomrdenintsa. tion
islaHckoiwngev.eFr,o rthien sctoamncpea,riwsohni leretvheealEedU tFhoatr etshteS EtrCa tedgidy lnaortg eplryiofroitcisues ethseo nsafmoere sptosliacineds faonrde spt-ofloiccyu sed
policinys,tfrourmeesnt-tbs aasse dforinesdt-ubsatsreide sinwdeursetrcyo (nsecee rFniegdurwe 1it)h. Tphoisli cwieosuladn dsupggoelisct ythinats tproulmicye ncotsorrdeilneavtaionnt tiso the
entirlaeckfoinrge.s tFovra ilnusetacnhcea,i wnh(eilxe ctlhued EiUng Foprreismt Satrryatepgryo lcaersgseilnyg f)ocaunsdes tohna ftohreasvtse aandd fiorerecstt-ofrociunsdeidr epcotliicmy,p act
forest-based industries were concerned with policies and policy instruments relevant to the entire forest
on the industry. Some policy domains, such as environment, climate and energy, were therefore
value chain (excluding primary processing) and that have a direct or indirect impact on the industry.
consideredforest-relevantintheCCAaswellastheStrategy,simplyduetotheiroverallsignificance.
Some policy domains, such as environment, climate and energy, were therefore considered forest-
Inothercases,theStrategyhighlightspolicydomainssuchasagriculture,research,aswellasdataand
relevant in the CCA as well as the Strategy, simply due to their overall significance. In other cases, the
informationservices,whiletheCCAemphasisedpolicydomainssuchascompetition,transportand
Strategy highlights policy domains such as agriculture, research, as well as data and information
tradseer(vsieceesF, iwguhirlee 1th).e TChCeAs eemvaprhiaastiisoends proelviceya ldoamdaiisncsr espuachn cays bcoemtwpeeteintiown,h taratnisspsoeret nanads tirmadpeo (rsteaen t in
policFyig-umrae k1i)n. gThaensde vpaorliiactiieosnst hraevteaarle ah daivscinregpaanncayc btuetawleimenp wachtaot nis isnedenu satsr yim. Iptocratannat lisno pboelincyo-tmedaktihnagt the
EUFaonrde sptoSlitcriaetse tghyatf oacrue sheasv,itnoga alna ragcetueaxlt eimntp,aocnt ovno liunndtuasrtyryi.n Istt rcuanm aelnstos b(ee. gn.o,tsetdr attheagti ethsea nEdU rFooardemst aps)
andSotrnaltyegrye sfoocrutssetso, tloe ag ilsalragtei oenxteifnti,t orne lvaotleusndtairrye cintlsytrutomfeonrtes s(tes.g(.e, .sgtr.a,tNegaietus raand2 0ro0a0d,mLaifpes+) aanndd oTnilym ber
Regurelsaotirotsn t)ow lehgiilselaftoiorne sitf -ibt aresleadteisn ddiruescttrlyie tso pforrioesrtisti (see.gd.,i Nnsattruurma 2e0n0t0s, tLhifaet+h aanvde Taimnbimerp Raecgtuolantihoon)w wthhieley are
forest-based industries prioritised instruments that have an impact on how they are allowed to operate.
allowedtooperate. Thus,bytakingintoaccounttheentireforestvaluechainandconsideringallEU
Thus, by taking into account the entire forest value chain and considering all EU policies and policy
policiesandpolicyinstrumentsthatareforest-relevant,anentirelydifferentpictureemergestothe
instruments that are forest-relevant, an entirely different picture emerges to the one presented in the
onepresentedintheEUForestStrategy. Thisincludessignificantincoherencewithregardstopolicy
EU Forest Strategy. This includes significant incoherence with regards to policy objectives that affect
objectivesthataffecttheforest-basedsectorasdemonstratedinFigure1. Thefigurealsodisplaysan
the forest-based sector as demonstrated in Figure 1. The figure also displays an integrated view of all
integforraetsetd-revliaetewd opfoalilclyf oprrieosrti-trieesla otfe tdhep EoClic aynpd rfioorreistti-ebsasoefdt hinedEuCstraiensd. forest-basedindustries.

Figure 1. EC and industry policy priorities associated with the forest-based sector value chain.
Figure1.ECandindustrypolicyprioritiesassociatedwiththeforest-basedsectorvaluechain.
Table 3 demonstrates the policies and policy instruments that have an effect on the forest-based
sTecatbolre, i3ncdluedminogn rsetgrautleastotrhye frpaomliecwieosrkasn tdhapt oalriec nyoitn csotnrusimdeernedts btyh tahteh Satvraeteagny enfofre cbtyo thnet fhoerefsotr peoslti-cbya sed
sectorer,seinarccluh dcionmgmreugnuitlya.t Moroyrfer iammpeowrtoanrktlsy,t hita htiagrhelingohttsc tohnes niduemrebderb oyf tphoeliScytr oabtejegcytivneosr tbhyatt wheoufoldre hsatvpeo licy
reseator cbhe caodmdrmesusendit tyo. sMigonrieficimanptloyr etannhatlnyc,ei tfohriegsht-lrigelhattesdt hpeolnicuym cbohereroefncpeo alitc tyheo bEjUec lteivveels. Tthhaist iwncoluulddesh ave
the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), despite it not being addressed by the CCA, as it sets the
regulatory framework for rural development and its associated funding instruments, which naturally
makes it highly relevant for primary processing and for supporting rural and urban communities [29].
Forests 2018,9,125 10of19
tobeaddressedtosignificantlyenhanceforest-relatedpolicycoherenceattheEUlevel. Thisincludes
the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), despite it not being addressed by the CCA, as it sets the
regulatoryframeworkforruraldevelopmentanditsassociatedfundinginstruments,whichnaturally
makesithighlyrelevantforprimaryprocessingandforsupportingruralandurbancommunities[29].
However,sinceforestrymeasuresareimplementedthroughnationalruraldevelopmentprogrammes,
thisleadstoimbalancesbetweenEUMemberStates. Forinstance,definingnationalgoalsforSFM
leadstovariedtrade-offsandthenationalselectionofforestrymeasureshavebeenreportedtolower
orincreasematerialcostswithintheindustry[25,29].
LegislationbanningillegallyloggedwoodandrelatedproductsenteringtheUnionaswellas
theprotectionofforestsandplanthealthmakeuppartoftheregulatoryframeworkthatpromotes
SFMandsafeguardsthesectorfromillegaltradeandplanthealthtroubles. Ithastobekeptinmind
that these requirements imply compliance costs for European forest-based industry which do not
arise for overseas competitors. It can also be noted that the EU Timber Regulation addresses the
legalityoftimberharvestingandassociatedtrade;however,legalityisnotasynonymforsustainability.
ThiscancreateproblemswithregardstotheimplementationoftheSFMprinciplethatisalsoaguiding
principlefortheStrategy. Regulatoryframeworksrelatedtoclimateandenergysetsrulesandtargets
foremissiontrading,carbonaccountingandsequestration,energyefficiency,andrenewableenergy
generation,manyofwhicharenotaddressedbytheStrategy(e.g.,emissionstrading). Energyand
climate rules affect different parts of the forest value chain differently and may better benefit the
energy sector over other sub-sectors using the same raw material. Pre-set energy goals further
pressurebiodiversityprotectionwhenthecompetitionforrawmaterialsincreases,whichhighlights
thepervasiveproblemofconflictingpolicyobjectivesaffectingtheuseofforestresources. Itisalso
noteworthythatpolicydomainsaimingatregulatingindustrialemissionstoair,water,andsoilaswell
aspolicyobjectivestominimiseandreusewaste(asapartofthecirculareconomy),havebeenentirely
omittedbytheEUForestStrategy. Emissionscontrolarguablyfallsundertherealmofindustrialpolicy
(asitmaynotaffectforestsdirectly); however,bydoingso,theStrategyneglectsnotonlybenefits
arisingfromforests(e.g.,publichealth,cleanair,waterprotection)butdirectimpactsfromatmospheric
pollutantsonforests(e.g.,reducingforestecosystemfunctionandhealth). Furthermore,itshouldbe
recognisedthatbothsynergiesandconflictsarisebetweennatureandclimatechangeprotectiondue
toenergysecurityissuesandtheimpactofforestprotectionmeasuresintheEU.
The EU Forest Strategy identifies trade as an important domain from a global perspective;
however, it does not take into account trade defence measures and tariffs for products and services
thatimpactforest-basedindustries,aswellasstateaidthataffectssectoralcompetitiveness.Doingsofails
torecognisethatsynergiesbetweentradeandenvironmentalprotectionmayarise(e.g.,avoidingillegal
loggingandinvasivespecies)andthefactthatglobalisationhasadirectimpactontheviabilityofEurope’s
forest-basedindustry.Tothis,itcanbeaddedthatgiventheStrategy’semphasisonjobgrowthandsecurity
aswellasruraldevelopment,notaddressingworkers’health,safetyandworkinghoursseemsproblematic.
Theseregulatoryframeworksclearlyimposestandardsthatareaboveglobalnorms;thishassignificant
implicationsforcompetitiveness,yetalsosuggeststhattheEUneedstoplayanimportantrolepushing
thesestandardsinternationallytosustainablyleveltheplayingfield.
Policiesandpolicyinstrumentsconcernedwithforest-relatedproductsarenearlyentirelyomitted
bytheEUForestStrategydespiteproductpolicyencompassingawiderangeofspecificlegislation
that,amongstotherthings,addressespublichealthandsafetyandtheirenvironmentalconsequences.
Such product policy provides the regulatory framework for bio-based products and has a direct
impactontheviabilityoftheEUforest-basedindustry. Similarly,theStrategy’sregulatoryomissions
also include frameworks that address transport, despite the fact that replacing climate-damaging
fuels would benefit carbon mitigation (see Figure 1 and Table 3). This domain includes marine
fuels,transboundaryshipmentsandroadhaulageasimportantframeworkconditionsaffectingthe
competitivenessofthesector.