Almost half of which is monocultural plantations and not actual _forests_.

That’s about as ecologically true as calling a bunch of crop fields grasslands.

I wouldn't focus on the Europe's forests though.

The biodiversity and nature loss around the world are staggering, and the meagre gains on one tiny continent don't offset that.

Citation needed.

Also, even if true, a lot is likely due to people leaving the countryside and migrating to the cities during the latter half of the 20th century. To feed these urban populations, an enormous amount of food needs to be imported from other countries. So really the deforestation has been exported, same as pollution from manufacturing.

More tree plantations.