Concerns regarding satellite data accuracy in the EU forest monitoring proposal

Question for written answer E-002193/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Beatrice Timgren (ECR)

The Commission's proposal on forest monitoring has raised concerns about the accuracy, cost-efficiency and feasibility of satellite data in monitoring forest activity. For example, satellite data has incorrectly classified selectively thinned forests as fully deforested, creating a misleading picture of forest management.

This reliance on global algorithms, which lack regional specificity, like those from Global Forest Watch, risks undermining long-established national monitoring systems such as Sweden's National Forest Inventory, leading to unnecessary administrative burdens[1].

• 1.How does the Commission plan to ensure that satellite data methodologies are regionally accurate, particularly in countries such as Sweden, where major discrepancies have already emerged?
• 2.What steps will it take to avoid additional administrative burdens and costs on Member States, while fully respecting existing, long-standing forest data systems such as those in Sweden and Finland?
• 3.How will it address concerns over data confidentiality, including the protection of private property and national security, particularly in avoiding the over-collection of sensitive information through geographically explicit identification systems?

Submitted: 21.10.2024

• [1] https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/sverige-pekas-ut-som-skogsbov-eu-far-fel-uppgifter.