The EU Commission is pushing for Sweden to reduce its use of clear-cutting and use clear-cutting methods.

The Swedish forest industry claims that if you are forced to stop clear-cutting, the economy of an important basic industry is threatened.

At a closed meeting organized by the company Stora Enso this spring, the EU Commission met with the forest industry, environmental organizations and researchers.

SVT received a tip and filmed outside the secret meeting.



- I think that Sweden's forests can feel better at the same time that the forest industry is flourishing.

We must protect biological diversity, says Frans Timmermans, Vice President of the European Commission.

Swedish forests absorb less and less carbon dioxide

The EU Commission wants clear-cutting to be reduced in Swedish forests so that they sequester ten percent more carbon dioxide than today.

But the latest statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency show that Swedish forestry went the other way, the forests even absorbed less carbon dioxide last year.

- Fellings have increased relatively much compared to previous years.

If this were to be the beginning of a decreasing trend in the carbon uptake of forest land, it will make it more difficult to reach the climate goals for 2030, says Professor Markku Rummukainen, who is Sweden's IPCC representative.

Clearcutting threatens biological diversity

The EU Commission also demands that Sweden fulfills its promises regarding biological diversity.

According to research, clear-cutting farming contributes to the fact that more and more plant and animal species in Sweden are threatened with extinction.

But according to representatives of the forest industry, the economy is threatened if they are forced to stop clear-cutting.

- It would reduce the volumes of wood that comes out of the forest by approximately 40 percent if we look at our members' forests with the conditions that exist in Götaland where we are right now.

And then it means for our members a completely different level of profitability, says Södra Skogsägarna's CEO Lotta Lyrå.

The European Court of Justice can condemn Sweden

According to researchers, if Sweden does not comply with EU agreements on climate and endangered species, a hearing in the EU Court of Justice is the ultimate threat.

- Sweden has problems with the EU's biodiversity legislation and I think that the Commission should rightly take a hard line against Sweden because we have thousands of species and plants, animals and fungi that are not doing well, says Mikael Karlsson who is associate professor in environmental science at Uppsala University.

In the World of Science - The Battle of the Forest continues on SVTplay, which is also broadcast on 24/10 at 20.00 in SVT2, there will be more about the science behind clear-cut forestry.