Table 1 Criticisms and proposals formulated by the European Commission (2021) on current forest monitoring systems in Europe. Communication on the New European Forest Strategy for 2030 on July 16. 2021. Statements arise from the section Strategic forest monitoring, reporting and data collection
From: Offering the appetite for the monitoring of European forests a diversified diet
Criticism / proposal | Statement | Aspect of monitoring covered |
|---|---|---|
Criticism 1 (C1) | Today the information concerning the status of forests in the EU, their social and economic value, as well as the pressures they face and ecosystem services they provide, is patchy There are several scattered monitoring and reporting mechanisms, but no strategic framework, which would bring these together and make it possible to comprehensively and jointly with Member States demonstrate that the EU is on the right track. | Split and integration of monitoring and reporting mechanisms |
Criticism 2 (C2) | No comprehensive reporting requirements exist | Lack of clear and integrated monitoring objectives |
Criticism 3 (C3) | There are challenges related to the use of remote sensing data together with ground-based data (i.e. lack of interoperability, common definitions, ambiguity in data interpretation, lack of long and comparable very high resolution time-series, limitations of the current standard forest products from Copernicus) | Challenge of remote sensing integration (definitions, precision, temporality) Limitations of Copernicus land monitoring |
Proposal 1 (P1) | The Commission will put forward a legislative proposal for a Forest Observation, Reporting and Data Collection framework. This will establish an EU-wide integrated forest monitoring framework, using remote sensing technologies and geospatial data integrated with ground-based monitoring, which will improve the accuracy of monitoring | Legally binding EU agreement on monitoring, targeting spatial and objective integration with improved resolution |
Proposal 2 (P2) | The focus should be on regular and more frequent cost-efficient reporting and update of data on priority EU policy-relevant topics, such as effects of climate change, biodiversity, health, damages, invasive alien species, forest management, and the biomass use for different socio-economic purposes. Monitoring has to be done with high spatial and temporal granularity. Timeliness is particularly important also due to the rapid unfolding of forest natural disturbances. The framework will benefit from the EU Space Programme components and should leverage Galileo and Copernicus services to improve these processes | Multipurpose monitoring to address forest multifunctionality Greater spatial precision and temporal frequency Common framework for remote sensing data |
Proposal 3 (P3) | The Forest Information System for Europe (FISE) will be enhanced to become the corner stone for harmonised forest data in Europe. The integrated forest monitoring system will therefore be framed under and its results made available through this information system | FISE as a support infrastructure |
Proposal 4 (P4) | A dashboard on key indicators will be produced and updated yearly for indicators, such as those from remote-sensing data, which are readily available. Taking into account the risks and rapidly changing situation in EU forests, forest disturbances and updated risk assessments will also be part of the yearly reports. | Yearly reporting on indicators, including disturbances |