Vigenin: Green policies have to be effective, but also fair

“When we create green policies with the best intentions, we have to be aware that they have an effect far beyond Europe. That is why it is important that the rules are not only ambitious, but also fair.” This was stated by Bulgarian MEP from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and DemocratsKristian Vigenin said after a meeting with representatives of the National Alliance of Forest Owners in the USA(U.S. National Alliance of Forest Owners – NAFO) and of the Intertribal Timber Council (Intertribal Timber Council –ITC).

During the conversation the guests shared their long experience in the sustainable management of forests by indigenous American communities, a practice passed down over generations that is of key importance both for the local people and for protecting nature and the stability of supply chains.

The global impact of European rules

Vigenin pointed out that European legislation is not always looked at in its full international context. In his words, regulations such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) can affect not only large companies, but also the Native American tribes, which are in fact an example of long-term forest management.

“Sometimes the rules we write in Brussels turn into a global adventure, with an effect thousands of kilometres from Europe,” the MEP noted.

In Kristian Vigenin’s view that is precisely why dialogue with international partners and representatives of local communities is essential. “Only through conversations like these can we guarantee that the EU’s green policies will be effective, workable and fair at the same time, both for European citizens and for people around the world,” he stressed.