5. A Round Table with industries, timber importers and distributors of forest-based products and other relevant stakeholders will be set up under the Advisory Committee on Forestry and forest-based industries to develop further private sector measures such as codes of conduct to exclude the trade and use of illegally harvested timber and products, in line with the FLEGT Action Plan. 6. Industries and forest owners are encouraged to undertake initiatives to help prevent illegal logging and promote sustainable forest management.

For these reasons I support the reform, which will result firstly in the establishment of a European Advisory Committee on Community Statistical Information Policy and secondly in the creation of a European Statistical Governance Advisory Board – both bodies capable of actively helping to monitor implementation of the code of conduct throughout the entire European statistical system.

Regular information exchange, co-operation and co-ordination with forestry stakeholders have taken place through the Advisory Group on Forestry and Cork, and the Advisory Committee on Community Policy Regarding Forestry and Forest-based Industries.

2. Welcomes the Commission's initiative and urgently calls for a detailed action plan with financial and timing commitments against each major proposal; such a plan should be endorsed by the Advisory Committees on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work; and the Safety and Health Commission for the Mining and Other Extractive Industries, the European Parliament and the Council in time for the Spring 2003 European Council and could then be subject to annual monitoring through the Social Agenda scoreboard, as advocated by Council Resolution of 3 June 2002 on a new Community strategy on health and safety at work (2002-2006) ; Parli ...[+++]ament and the Advisory Committees should clearly be involved in this monitoring process;

47. Supports the active role of the advisory committee on the forest-based industries and stresses the need for cooperation between it and the Commission's other advisory committees working in the forestry sector;

The Commission will organise joint meetings between the members of the SFC and the Advisory Group on Forestry and Cork[25], as well as with other consultative bodies like the Advisory Committee on Community Policy regarding Forestry and Forest-based Industries[26].