ANNEX to the COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS: Stepping up EU Action to Protect and Restore the World’s Forests - Main contents

Document date	24-07-2019
Publication date	25-07-2019
Reference	11449/1/19 REV 1 ADD 3
From	Secretary-General of the European Commission, signed by Mr Jordi AYET PUIGARNAU, Director
External link	original article
Original document in PDF

Council of the European Union

Brussels, 24 July 2019 (OR. en)

11449/1/19 REV 1 ADD 3

AGRI 400 ENV 709 FORETS 29 PROCIV 56 JUR 452 DEVGEN 152 RELEX 741 UD 216 PROBA 34 FAO 29

COVER NOTE

From: Secretary-General of the European Commission, signed by Mr Jordi AYET PUIGARNAU, Director

date of receipt: 23 July 2019

To: Mr Jeppe TRANHOLM-MIKKELSEN, Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union

No. Cion doc.: COM(2019) 352 i ANNEX 2

Subject: ANNEX to the COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS: Stepping up EU Action to Protect and Restore the World’s Forests

Delegations will find attached document COM(2019) 352 i ANNEX 2.

Encl.: COM(2019) 352 i ANNEX 2

EUROPEAN

COMMISSION

Brussels, 23.7.2019 COM(2019) 352 final i

ANNEX 2

ANNEX

to the

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN

PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL

COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Stepping up EU Action to Protect and Restore the World's Forests

{SWD(2019) 307 final}

ANNEX II

Actions recommended to Member States’ authorities, industry and civil society

Member States’ authorities are encouraged to:

• - 

  Develop and implement national strategies and action plans on deforestation and forest degradation, including: o awareness campaigns and engagement with relevant businesses;

o voluntary commitments to support the Communication’s objective, in particular as regards reducing EU

demand for products from supply chains associated with deforestation and forest degradation;

o actions to promote supply chains transparency.

• - 

  Support partner countries in:

o improving relevant policy and regulatory frameworks;

o improving innovative financing instruments such as green bonds;

o improving payments for ecosystem services schemes;

o encouraging their national banking sectors to support investments in sustainable agriculture, forestry and

infrastructure.

• - 

  In the framework of development cooperation:

o ensure that financial contributions do not contribute to deforestation and forest degradation;

o scale up support provided to sustainable agriculture, agroforestry, agro-ecology, and other climateresilient/ecological

farming, including to smallholders to ensure sustainable agricultural and forest value

chains;

o support management of protected forest areas, sustainable forest management and efforts to restore

degraded forests, including afforestation and reforestation;

o support the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities and the improvement of

land governance and law enforcement.

• - 

  Continue to actively engage with other countries and key stakeholders in the multilateral context, e.g. in multilateral

environmental agreements, policy processes and fora such as UN agencies and committees, to support the adoption

and implementation of strong commitments and provisions halting deforestation and forest degradation.

• - 

  Further strengthen the inclusion of provisions on sustainable value chains in trade agreements, with a particular

focus on deforestation, in the context of OECD and other relevant fora.

• - 

  Contribute to research and innovation related to halting deforestation and forest degradation through national and

EU funding programmes.

• - 

  Support international and bilateral cooperation and collaboration with relevant research institutions and

organisations working on deforestation and forest degradation.

Industry is encouraged to:

• - 

  Make voluntary commitments in support of the communication’s objective, in particular as regards reducing use of products from supply chains associated with deforestation and forest degradation and promoting supply chain

  transparency.

• - 

  Integrate deforestation considerations into their corporate social responsibility/responsible business conduct actions. - Support progress towards sustainable land-use practices and reducing pressure on forests. - Support investments in sustainable management of forests, restoration and reforestation of degraded forest

  landscapes and ecosystems.

• - 

  Step-up efforts to empower and protect the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, including land and forest tenure rights and labour rights.

• - 

  Actively commit to and implement integrated, cross-border actions halting deforestation and forest degradation.

• - 

  Increase cooperation and partnerships with international commodity bodies, and relevant initiatives and key stakeholders to tackle deforestation and forest degradation.

• - 

  Ensure that investments do not contribute to deforestation and forest degradation and increase transparency.

• - 

  Increase support to research and innovation in areas that are directly relevant to fulfilling the Communication’s objectives and scale up the use of monitoring and traceability tools throughout the supply chain.

Civil society is encouraged to:

• - 

  Mobilise its networks to raise awareness about deforestation and forest degradation and promote the objectives of this Communication.

• - 

  Support the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, including land and forest tenure rights, by supporting dedicated facilities, civil society organisations, human and land right defenders and

  participatory processes, as well as by providing expertise and sharing best practices.

• - 

  Play an active role in integrated, cross-border actions halting deforestation and forest degradation.

• - 

  Continue raising awareness of deforestation and forest degradation issues throughout all relevant international fora. - Contribute to increasing investment-related transparency.

• - 

  Contribute to the traceability and transparency of supply chains.