Are logging volumes in Europe increasing? Indeed they are, but not as rapidly as reported in a controversial study published by Nature (Abrupt increase in harvested forest area over Europe after 2015) in July last year. To estimate forest cover, the study used satellite imagery and data. The conclusions stated that since 2016, logging volumes in Europe have increased by 69%. The authors of the study from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre conclude (or assume) that this increase has arisen as a result of the European Union's bioeconomy and bioenergy policies, which have stimulated growth in the wood market. The publication of the study sparked heated disputes (both political and scientific) in the European Parliament and the European Council during the discussion of the EU Forest Strategy.

In response to the aforementioned Nature publication, 30 scientists from 13 European countries have found evidence that casts doubt on the validity of the study's conclusions. In the report "Concerns about reported harvests in European forests" (Concerns about reported harvests in European forests), M. Palahi and his colleagues demonstrate that the large changes in logging volumes reported by Nature resulted from methodological errors in the study. These are linked both to satellite resolution, which improved significantly during the data evaluation period, and to natural changes in forests, such as drought and wind damage or windthrow, which are often incorrectly "attributed" to logging.