Deforestation

9.7.2015

Question for written answer E-011073-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Estefanía Torres Martínez (GUE/NGL) , Pablo Iglesias (GUE/NGL)

In the course of the last twenty years the EU has become the global leader in causing tropical deforestation, inasmuch as the production processes for consumer goods imported into the EU have caused the destruction in tropical countries of an area of rainforest similar to Portugal in size.

• The future of the planet is a sufficiently important matter for the EU not to allow two different policies on the issue, namely those applied by the Member States and their businesses inside and outside the EU’s borders. It is vital to ensure compliance at least with the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 (reducing deforestation by half) and to 2030 (halting it completely), through the new forestry strategy to be negotiated by the EP during the 2014-2019 parliamentary term, and by reducing the proportion of forest terrain held in private hands in the EU so as to limit opportunities for speculation.

What measures will the Commission adopt or propose in this regard?