Sustainable Forest Managementin Europe

24 October 2008, European Forest Week Arne Ivar Sletnes, MCPFE Liaison Unit Oslo

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

Sustainable Forest Management in Europe

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 EuropePolicy Means and Instruments• 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

Working together in Europe• Transparent process• Stakeholder participation

Forest ownersForest based industryEnvironmental NGOsSocial NGOsScientific community

• Partnership with international organisations

State of Europe’s Forests• 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• 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 ForestsThreats to forests in Europe:

• Storms• Fire• Air pollution• Other damaging factors

Source: State of Europe’s Forests 2007

The Challenges1. Reach out to other sectors

2. Respond to new developments, conditions, needs and demands

MCPFE Response to Developments and Demands

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

Thank you for your attention!

www.mcpfe.org