Plenary report, 1 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
Report A-10-2025-0175 · (COM(2023)0727 – C90424/2023 – 2023/0410(COD))
Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development · Rapporteur: Emma Wiesner, Pekka Toveri
- Voted on Tuesday, 21 October 2025 · Passed 327 for, 256 against, 58 abstained · See the decision →
- Where the law stands · dossier 2023/0410 →
AI:In short
Parliament's amended version of the proposal to amend Council Decision 89/367/EEC renames the Standing Forestry Committee as the Standing Forest and Forestry Expert Group and updates its tasks and composition.
Position. The committees propose to amend the Commission proposal, renaming the committee as an expert group and clarifying its tasks and composition.
Key points
- The expert group shall advise the Commission on any issue or aspect concerning forests and forestry from relevant Union policies, on its own initiative or at a Member State's request.
- It shall assist and cooperate with the Commission in preparing and implementing legislative proposals, strategies, communications, guidelines or other initiatives that would have significant impact on forests or forestry within the Union.
- It shall ensure an adequate contribution of Member States' forestry sector to Union objectives, promoting coherence and synergies, eliminating inconsistencies, and addressing cumulative impact and compatibility with subsidiarity and proportionality.
- It shall enhance cooperation between the Commission and Member States, including under the common agricultural policy, considering sustainability, synergies between forests and agriculture, and socio-economic development of forest-dominant rural areas.
- It shall foster exchange of knowledge, experience and good practices, act as a forum on emerging issues and multiple functions of forests, and exchange views on applicability and implications of Union policies.
- It shall seek synergies and avoid conflicts between national and Union forest-related policies, considering international developments.
- It shall formulate opinions on relevant Union initiatives; the Commission shall consider those opinions and provide feedback on how it has done so.
- The European Parliament and the Council may assign other temporary tasks to the expert group on a proposal from the Commission.
- Each Member State shall be invited and strongly encouraged to designate national experts and facilitate their participation in meetings.
- Member States shall nominate representatives ensuring active engagement of their relevant authorities, able to represent their interests and experience on all relevant policy objectives.
- The expert group shall be chaired by a Commission representative, who may present its annual working plan to the European Parliament.
Who is affected
- Member States: they are invited to designate national experts and ensure active engagement of relevant authorities in the expert group.
- The Commission: it receives advice from the expert group and must consider its opinions and provide feedback.
Legal basis. Articles 43 and 192(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
Written by AI from the full text · every figure comes from the text · ¶ opens the paragraph · 4 Sept 2026 · Report a problem
Full text
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Draft european parliament legislative resolution 102 paragraphs
(COM(2023)0727 – C90424/2023 – 2023/0410(COD))
(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)
The European Parliament,
–having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2023)0727),
–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),
–having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
–having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 20 March 2024,
–after consulting the Committee of the Regions,
–having regard to Rule 60 of its Rules of Procedure,
–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,
–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),
1.Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;
Read the rest (90 paragraphs)
2.Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;
3.Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.
Amendment 1
Proposal for a decision
Recital 1 a (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (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. |
Amendment 2
Proposal for a decision
Recital 2
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (2) The wider contribution of forests to the objectives set out in the Commission Communication of 11 December 2019 entitled ‘the European Green Deal’ 4 , including to climate, biodiversity and sustainable bioeconomy necessitates a more inclusive and better coordinated Union forest governance structure that reflects all the objectives of the Commission Communication of 16 July 2021 entitled ‘New EU Forest Strategy for 2030’ 5 and their interlinkages. | (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)640 final. | 4 COM(2019)640 final. |
| 5 COM(2021)527 final. | 5 COM(2021)527 final. |
Amendment 3
Proposal for a decision
Recital 2 a (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (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’). |
Amendment 4
Proposal for a decision
Recital 4
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (4) The most effective way of achieving a more inclusive and better coordinated Union forest governance structure is to broaden the scope and clarify the tasks and the composition of the Standing Forestry Committee.. The Standing Forestry Committee should also be renamed as the Standing Forest and Forestry Expert Group, in order to reflect those amendments. At the request of the Commission or of a Member State, it should address any issue or aspect concerning forests and forestry arising from various Union policies. It is therefore appropriate to ensure that Member States nominate representatives from the authorities that are competent for the specific policy objectives. | (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. |
Amendment 5
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Council Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 1 – paragraph 1
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| In order to ensure a reinforced cooperation and multidisciplinary exchange 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 Group, hereinafter referred to as “the expert group”, is hereby set up.; | 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 group (the “expert group”), is hereby set up. |
Amendment 6
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Council Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 2 – paragraph 1
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The Commission may consult the expert group on any issue or aspect concerning forests and forestry arising from the various Union policies either on its own initiative or at the request of the representative of a Member State. | 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. |
Amendment 7
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Council Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point a
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (a) to assist the Commission in the preparation of legislative proposals, guidelines or other Union policy initiatives relevant to forests and forestry, including in the implementation of the New EU Forest Strategy for 2030 and subsequent Union Forest Strategies; | (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; |
Amendment 8
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Council Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point b
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (b) to provide the Commission with advice and expertise, either on the initiative of the Commission or at the request of a Member State, with a view to supporting the wider contribution of forests and forestry to key Union objectives and initiatives, such as the European Green Deal, and to promoting coherence and synergies between Union policies relevant to forests and forestry; | (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; |
Amendment 9
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Council Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point c
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (c) to promote cooperation between the Commission and the Member States on forests and forestry, including in support of measures and interventions under the common agricultural policy; | (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; |
Amendment 10
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Council Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point d
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (d) to foster the exchange of knowledge, experience and good practices in the field of forests and forestry. | (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; |
Amendment 11
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Council Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point d a (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (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; |
Amendment 12
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Council Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point d b (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (db) to formulate opinions on 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; 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. |
Amendment 13
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Council Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 2 – paragraph 3
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3. The European Parliament and the Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission, may assign other tasks to the expert group in connection with Union policies affecting forests and forestry.; | 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.; |
Amendment 14
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Council Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 3 – paragraph 1
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| The expert group shall be composed of representatives of the Member States. | 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. |
Amendment 15
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Council Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 3 – paragraph 2
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Member States shall nominate their representatives, ensuring participation of the authorities that are competent for the different policy objectives of the New EU Forest Strategy for 2030, including inter alia climate, forest health, environment, forestry, rural development and bioeconomy and any subsequent Union forest strategies. | 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. |
Amendment 16
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Council Decision 89/367/EEC
Article 3 – paragraph 3
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| The expert group shall be chaired by a representative of the Commission. | 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. |
Annex: declaration of input 4 paragraphs
Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteurs declare that they included in their report input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that they received, in the preparation of the report, prior to the adoption thereof in committee, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:
| 1. Interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register |
| WWF - World Wildlife Found |
| LRF - Lantbrukarnas Riksförbund |
| CEPF - Confederation of European Forest Owners |
| The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) |
| Finnish Forest Industries Federation |
| 2. Representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies |
The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteurs.
Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteurs declare that they have submitted to the concerned natural persons the European Parliament's Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.
Procedure pages
How the committees handled the text, and how their members voted on it.
Procedure – committee responsible 1 paragraph
| Title | Amending Council Decision 89/367/EEC setting up a Standing Forestry Committee | |
| References | COM(2023)0727 – C9-0424/2023 – 2023/0410(COD) | |
| Date submitted to Parliament | 22.11.2023 | |
| Committee(s) responsible Date announced in plenary | ENVI 26.2.2024 | AGRI 26.2.2024 |
| Rapporteurs Date appointed | Emma Wiesner 26.11.2024 | Pekka Toveri 26.11.2024 |
| Rule 59 – Joint committee procedure Date announced in plenary | 26.2.2024 | |
| Discussed in committee | 4.12.2024 | 18.2.2025 |
| Date adopted | 23.9.2025 | |
| Result of final vote | +: –: 0: | 70 37 17 |
| Members present for the final vote | Grégory Allione, Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, Mathilde Androuët, Pascal Arimont, Bartosz Arłukowicz, Sakis Arnaoutoglou, Thomas Bajada, Arno Bausemer, Alexander Bernhuber, Barbara Bonte, Mireia Borrás Pabón, Lynn Boylan, Daniel Buda, Waldemar Buda, Pascal Canfin, Laurent Castillo, Mohammed Chahim, Asger Christensen, Christophe Clergeau, Barry Cowen, Carmen Crespo Díaz, Salvatore De Meo, Csaba Dömötör, Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral, Herbert Dorfmann, Ondřej Dostál, Sebastian Everding, Viktória Ferenc, Luke Ming Flanagan, Emmanouil Fragkos, Anne-Sophie Frigout, Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, Andreas Glück, Maria Grapini, Cristina Guarda, Roman Haider, Martin Häusling, Esther Herranz García, Krzysztof Hetman, Pär Holmgren, Romana Jerković, Radan Kanev, Elsi Katainen, Ondřej Knotek, Stefan Köhler, Ewa Kopacz, Tomáš Kubín, András Tivadar Kulja, Katri Kulmuni, Peter Liese, Norbert Lins, Javi López, César Luena, Ignazio Roberto Marino, Tilly Metz, Dolors Montserrat, Alessandra Moretti, Jana Nagyová, Maria Noichl, Jacek Ozdoba, Jutta Paulus, Gilles Pennelle, Jessica Polfjärd, André Rodrigues, Arash Saeidi, Massimiliano Salini, Silvia Sardone, Eric Sargiacomo, Oliver Schenk, Jonas Sjöstedt, Sander Smit, Susana Solís Pérez, Claudiu-Richard Târziu, Marta Temido, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Beatrice Timgren, Pekka Toveri, Dimitris Tsiodras, Ana Vasconcelos, Aurelijus Veryga, Alexandr Vondra, Veronika Vrecionová, Thomas Waitz, Maria Walsh, Emma Wiesner, Michal Wiezik, Tiemo Wölken | |
| Substitutes present for the final vote | Christine Anderson, Benoit Cassart, Stefano Cavedagna, Susanna Ceccardi, Per Clausen, Lena Düpont, Geadis Geadi, Jens Gieseke, Sunčana Glavak, Adam Jarubas, Nora Junco García, Billy Kelleher, Ilia Lazarov, Luis-Vicențiu Lazarus, Letizia Moratti, Virgil-Daniel Popescu, Dennis Radtke, Antonella Sberna, Nicolae Ștefănuță, Bruno Tobback, Isabella Tovaglieri, Laurence Trochu, Roberto Vannacci, Ewa Zajączkowska-Hernik | |
| Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote | Vasile Dîncu, Gheorghe Falcă, Tomasz Froelich, Juan Carlos Girauta Vidal, Evin Incir, Alice Kuhnke, Isabella Lövin, Nadine Morano, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, Volker Schnurrbusch, Villy Søvndal, Ivaylo Valchev, Charlie Weimers | |
| Date tabled | 1.10.2025 |
Final vote by roll call by the committee responsible 3 paragraphs
70 · For
- ECR
- Waldemar Buda, Stefano Cavedagna, Emmanouil Fragkos, Geadis Geadi, Nora Junco García, Jacek Ozdoba, Antonella Sberna, Claudiu-Richard Târziu, Beatrice Timgren, Laurence Trochu, Ivaylo Valchev, Aurelijus Veryga, Alexandr Vondra, Veronika Vrecionová, Charlie Weimers
- EPP
- Pascal Arimont, Bartosz Arłukowicz, Alexander Bernhuber, Daniel Buda, Laurent Castillo, Carmen Crespo Díaz, Salvatore De Meo, Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral, Herbert Dorfmann, Lena Düpont, Gheorghe Falcă, Jens Gieseke, Sunčana Glavak, Esther Herranz García, Krzysztof Hetman, Adam Jarubas, Radan Kanev, Stefan Köhler, Ewa Kopacz, András Tivadar Kulja, Ilia Lazarov, Peter Liese, Norbert Lins, Dolors Montserrat, Nadine Morano, Letizia Moratti, Jessica Polfjärd, Virgil-Daniel Popescu, Dennis Radtke, Massimiliano Salini, Oliver Schenk, Sander Smit, Susana Solís Pérez, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Pekka Toveri, Dimitris Tsiodras, Maria Walsh
- Renew
- Grégory Allione, Pascal Canfin, Benoit Cassart, Asger Christensen, Barry Cowen, Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, Andreas Glück, Elsi Katainen, Billy Kelleher, Katri Kulmuni, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, Ana Vasconcelos, Emma Wiesner, Michal Wiezik
- S&D
- Vasile Dîncu, Maria Grapini, André Rodrigues, Eric Sargiacomo
37 · Against
- ESN
- Christine Anderson, Arno Bausemer, Tomasz Froelich, Volker Schnurrbusch, Ewa Zajączkowska-Hernik
- Patriots
- Roberto Vannacci
- S&D
- Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, Sakis Arnaoutoglou, Thomas Bajada, Mohammed Chahim, Christophe Clergeau, Evin Incir, Romana Jerković, Javi López, César Luena, Alessandra Moretti, Maria Noichl, Marta Temido, Bruno Tobback, Tiemo Wölken
- The Left
- Lynn Boylan, Per Clausen, Sebastian Everding, Luke Ming Flanagan, Arash Saeidi, Jonas Sjöstedt
- Greens
- Cristina Guarda, Martin Häusling, Pär Holmgren, Alice Kuhnke, Isabella Lövin, Ignazio Roberto Marino, Tilly Metz, Jutta Paulus, Villy Søvndal, Nicolae Ștefănuță, Thomas Waitz
17 · Abstained
- No group
- Ondřej Dostál, Luis-Vicențiu Lazarus
- Patriots
- Mathilde Androuët, Barbara Bonte, Mireia Borrás Pabón, Susanna Ceccardi, Valérie Deloge, Csaba Dömötör, Viktória Ferenc, Anne-Sophie Frigout, Juan Carlos Girauta Vidal, Roman Haider, Ondřej Knotek, Tomáš Kubín, Jana Nagyová, Silvia Sardone, Isabella Tovaglieri