EP/Forest monitoring framework: "EPP wants the Commission to withdraw its proposal" (A. Bernhuber / EPP)

370 votes against; 264 votes in favour; and nine abstentions: MEPs rejected the Commission's proposal for an EU forest monitoring framework and accepted the extension of tasks of the standing Forest and Forestry Expert Group in the Plenary session in Strasbourg on 21/10/2025. Before the vote, the EPP group (188 seats) announced in a press conference why they would vote against the proposal.

"Four key reasons why we are against this proposal. The first one is that forest policy is a competence of national Member States, thus the regulation is against the EU competence, and there is already a well-working monitoring system in 24 of 27 Member States; the 3 others have nearly no forests, so they don't need it. The second one is about the risk of duplication with existing national structures, and the Commission pointed out that this system will create additional costs for Member States, which it won't cover. The third problem is about the doubts about data security and data uses, which cannot adequately reflect local forests and national specifications, so these indicators might lead to…