Commissioner Roswall has confirmed that the European Commission will withdraw its proposal for a Regulation on a monitoring framework for resilient European forests, following its rejection by the European Parliament on 21 October 2025 and significant modifications envisaged by the Council. In a written answer to a parliamentary question from ECR MEP Piotr Müller, Roswall stated that the proposal aimed to set up an EU-wide forest monitoring system for accurate, timely and comparable data on forests, but did not touch on forest management, which remains a Member State competence.
The answer comes in response to Müller's question, which raised concerns about the scope of EU competences and the real purpose of establishing such a framework. Müller questioned whether the system would become a tool for exerting regulatory pressure under the pretext of environmental protection, leading to indirect shaping of forestry policy and extending Union competences beyond the Treaties. He also asked how the Commission would ensure data would not be used to restrict timber harvesting or indirectly shape national forestry policies.
Roswall's answer clarifies that the proposal's objectives included supporting public authorities in evidence-based policymaking, providing stakeholders with accurate information, supporting new business models like carbon farming certification, and fostering new markets for digital monitoring services. She emphasised that the EU has shared competences in climate, environment and agriculture policies that address forests and forestry, and that the Commission works in close cooperation with Member States respecting subsidiarity and proportionality.
The withdrawal marks a significant setback for the Commission's environmental agenda, as the proposal was intended to address increasing pressures on forests and their cross-border impacts. The rejection by Parliament and Council modifications indicate a divergence between EU institutions on the appropriate scope of EU action in forest monitoring, with Member States and some MEPs pushing back against perceived overreach. The Commission's decision to withdraw suggests a pragmatic approach to avoid further institutional conflict, but leaves the EU without a harmonised forest monitoring system, potentially affecting climate and biodiversity policies that rely on comparable data.
← Atlas › News › Environment