This year's last meeting of the CoR Commission for Natural Resources (NAT) took place on Thursday, 12 December in Brussels. Two main topics on the agenda were the European Commission's report on health inequalities in the EU and the Communication on a new EU strategy for forests and forest-based sector.
Members of the Committee of the Regions welcomed the European Commission's Communication on the new forest strategy but also stressed that it is important to address this issue from a multi-disciplinary perspective and on a more regular basis. It was also stressed that a careful and tailored approach is essential to ensure protection of forests while also benefiting from their economic potential. That is why CoR members reject the interference of the European Commission in the development of national and regional forest management plans.
The debate was followed by a presentation of the UN post-2015 disaster risk reduction framework, made by Ms Paola Albrito, Director of the Regional Office for Europe of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). During the discussion, the EA group coordinator for the NAT commission, Mr Jerzy Zająkała stressed that it is crucial to think well in advance and develop further monitoring and warning systems, because poor decision making has proved to be the main problem in prevention of and response to natural disasters.
Topics for the next meeting, which will take place on 6 February 2014 in Brussels, will be information provision and promotion measures for agricultural products, and conservation and sustainable use of agriculture genetic resources.
