Finland is “sceptical” of EU plans to draw up sustainability criteria for solid biomass.

In a Finnish Forest Association article on forests web portal forest.fi, Finnish forests official Heikki Granholm says the relevant issue is that forestry should be regarded as sustainable, regardless of how the timber is used.

He points out that EU member states already have national legislation or guidelines on the sustainable production of forest biomass.

“It is extremely difficult to create functional and concrete EU-wide criteria, which would need to be incorporated in legislation, for just one type of use,” said Mr Granholm.

The association said Finland’s proposed subsidy for energy wood had already fallen foul with the EU.

Finland wants to make the procuring of small-diameter wood for energy use profitable, but the EU Commission believes the subsidy should be paid to electricity/heat producers rather than forest owners, who Finland wants the subsidy to support.

Source: internet

Posted and edited by Riona, Hanbao News Department

Contact: rionach@cltimber.com