rec_20

(20) Forestry is an integral part of rural development and support for sustainable and climate friendly land use should include forest area development and sustainable management of forests. During the 2007-2013 programming period, a variety of measures covered different types of support for forestry investments and management. In the interests of simplification and of allowing beneficiaries to design and realise integrated projects with increased added value, a single measure should cover all types of support for forestry investments and management. That measure should cover the extension and improvement of forest resources through the afforestation of land and the creation of agroforestry systems combining extensive agriculture with forestry systems. It should also cover the restoration of forests damaged by fire or other natural disasters and catastrophic events and relevant prevention measures; investments in forestry technologies and in the processing; the mobilising and marketing of forest products aimed at improving the economic and environmental performance of forest holders; and non- remunerative investments which improve ecosystem and climate resilience and environmental value of forest ecosystems. Support should not distort competition and should be market neutral. As a result, limitations relating to the size and legal status of beneficiaries should be imposed. Preventive actions against fires should be undertaken in areas classified by Member States as medium or high fire risk. All preventive actions should be part of a forest protection plan. In the case of an action undertaken for the restoration of damaged forest potential, the occurrence of a natural disaster should be subject to formal recognition by a scientific public organisation. The forestry measure should be adopted in the light of undertakings given by the Union and Member States at international level, and should be based on Member States' national or sub-national forest plans or equivalent instruments which should take into account the commitments made in the Ministerial Conferences on the Protection of Forests in Europe. It should contribute to the implementation of the Union Forest Strategy in line with the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions entitled "A new EU Forest Strategy: for forests and the forest-based sector".

← rec_19 · All articles · rec_21 →

Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-08 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.