On Wednesday, the European Commission put forward a proposal for a forest monitoring system that employs satellites to track various threats, including wildfires exacerbated by climate change and illegal logging.

Europe's forests are facing increasing challenges due to climate change, leading to a higher risk of destructive wildfires amid extreme heat and drought conditions. EU data from last year indicates that almost 900,000 hectares of land were burned in forest fires, an area roughly equivalent to the size of Corsica. The degradation of these forests is problematic, given their role in storing CO2, which is essential for meeting climate targets and preventing flooding in surrounding areas.

The Commission's proposal involves enacting a law that mandates the collection of forest data from the EU's Copernicus Sentinel satellites. Additionally, EU member states would be required to gather ground measurements related to various trends, such as logging availability, tree volume, and the location of ancient forests.

EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius emphasized the need for comprehensive monitoring to understand forest states and their responses to climate change. The proposed data collection would also aid in tracking risks like illegal logging across national borders.

Illegal logging has been a point of contention, with Poland facing legal challenges over policies allowing logging during birds' breeding seasons. The European Court of Justice ruled in March that such practices violated EU environmental laws. The court had previously ruled in 2018 against Poland's authorization of logging in the ancient Bialowieza forest.

Campaign group Fern welcomed the EU proposal as a potentially significant opportunity to gather essential data for protecting Europe's forests. However, they suggested that the law should go further by compelling EU countries to take action to improve forest health based on the collected data. Brussels argues that existing forest data from member states often has gaps and significant delays, hindering effective preparation for climate-related hazards.