Sustainable Forest Management in Europe

1. Sustainable Forest Managementin Europe 24 October 2008, European Forest Week Arne Ivar Sletnes, MCPFE Liaison Unit Oslo

2. High level forest policy process Based on voluntary participation 46 European states + European Community 41 observers – organisations and countries The MCPFE

3. European concensus on definition: The stewardship and use of forests and forest lands in a way, and at a rate, that maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality and their potential to fulfil, now and in the future, relevant ecological, economic and social functions, at local, national, and global levels, and that does not cause damage to other ecosystems (MCPFE, Helsinki Resolution 1, 1993) Sustainable Forest Management in Europe

4. Policy guidelines for sustainable forest management Guidelines for the conservation of the biodiversity Guidelines on socio-economic aspects Criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management Operational Level Guidelines for sustainable forest management Pan-European approach to national forest programmes Periodically assessment and reporting Sustainable Forest Management in EuropePolicy Means and Instruments

5. Transparent process Stakeholder participationForest ownersForest based industryEnvironmental NGOsSocial NGOsScientific community Partnership with international organisations Working together in Europe

6. Condition of European forests has improved Forest area continues to increase (13 million ha last 15 years) Wood volume in forests at record heights (112 billion m3 and increasing) Volumes of wood harvested – considerably below annual increment European forests store 53 gigatonnes of carbon - grown by 2 billion tonnes since 1990 Source: State of Europe’s Forests 2007 State of Europe’s Forests

7. 98% of European forests covered by management plans 70% of European forests are semi-natural 10% of European forests – protection of water and soil Management practices increasingly promote biodiversity Less then 1% of Europe’s forests are dominated by introduced tree species Area of protected forests have expanded by about 12 million ha last 5 years Source: State of Europe’s Forests 2007 State of Europe’s Forests

8. Threats to forests in Europe: Storms Fire Air pollution Other damaging factors Source: State of Europe’s Forests 2007 State of Europe’s Forests

9. Reach out to other sectors Respond to new developments, conditions, needs and demands The Challenges

10. Specific issues from the MCPFE Work Programme: Guidelines for afforestation and reforestation Sustainability criteria for forest biomass production Activities to increase mobilisation of wood resources MCPFE Response to Developments and Demands

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