...representatives of the European Court of Auditors have concluded in a recent report. Specifically, the work and actions of the European Commission in protecting European Union forests (and their condition) and improving forest biodiversity have been insufficient. The Court of Auditors concluded that only a small fraction of the EU agricultural budget has been directed towards forest management, and furthermore, most of the funding allocated was spent on preservation rather than reforestation, resulting in a situation where (in the understanding of the Court of Auditors) the impact of forests on extreme weather conditions has decreased.

The European Court of Auditors, upon reviewing the use of budgetary funds, concluded that while forest cover in Europe has increased over the last 30 years, the European Commission needs to take more serious and stringent measures to protect European Union forests in implementing the 2014-2030 Forest Strategy. The Court’s representatives conclude that a serious issue in addressing forest matters is a lack of funding, as less than 1% of the total agricultural policy budget is directed towards forest management, which is much, much less than for agriculture, even though the areas of forest and agricultural land across the EU territory are nearly equal.