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Sustainable forest management - the cornerstone of a new EU policy approach
Managing forests for the future is nothing new to forest owners and foresters. Morten Thoroe, CEPF Secretary General addressed an EU wide audience, highlighting that forest owners are the core of the positive perception of European forests. A holistic, long term approach towards the merits of forest, as well as appropriate framework conditions are needed to accommodate the sector in coping with new challenges.
 The forest owners are the backbone of putting the concept of sustainability into practice. The Green Paper on Forest Protection and Information acknowledged the positive picture on European forests. Forest owners are the core of this. The Paper addresses challenges that forests face in changing climatic conditions. Ways to protect Europe's forests from global change were discussed during the Conference on the Protection of Forests, jointly organised by the Spanish Presidency and the Euroepan Commisison in Spain last week.
The Conference debated on the impacts and threats on forests, biodiversity, information as well as policy options, and the future of the EU forest strategy.
Keeping the Rural areas alive
Forests cover 42 % of the EU’s land area, roughly the same as agricultural land. Addressing the conference, Morten Thoroe, CEPF Secretary General, underlined that the importance of the sector must be appreciated broadly at the European level. This should come across not only in intrinsic values such as biodiversity or landscape, but also as the key position the sector holds in the new green economy. A holistic, long term approach towards the forest as well as appropriate framework conditions are necessary to accommodate the sector, coping with new challenges.
Europe should assume leadership in developing markets for the provision of ecosystem services from the forests. Public goods such as fresh water, clean air and biodiversity depend on resilient forests. A changing climate poses fundamental challenges to maintain all forest functions, adding to the role of forests in capturing and storing carbon. Smarter communication is needed with the public to bring about social change and to set the proper value to those services. This value should be acknowledged in a way to enable to secure solid public funding through a change in the EU Common Agriculture Policy and Rural Development measures.
Protection of forests is a part of sustainable forest management
The conference adopted a “Valsaín Declaration”, to set the basis for the Council opinion on the Green Paper. It acknowledges the action priorities for the protection of forests in Europe. These include a call for greater cooperation and coordination at EU level while at the same time respecting the subsidiarity principle, which gives member states exclusive competence in this area. Additional work needs to be done to address the problems of forest, soil and water resource degradation. The declaration stresses also that protection of forest is a part of sustainable forest management, for creating healthy ecosystems and fulfilling multiple forest functions. Europe needs action to reaffirm sustainable forest management as a viable and commonly approved concept among citizens and decision makers.
The Conference was one of the activities to open a discussion on whether and how the policy should evolve in order to address a number of challenges at the Euroepan level. Another stakeholder meeting discussing the Green Paper will be held during the Green Week in Brussels, on the 3rd of June. CEPF will be a part of these, in addition providing the forest owners’ contribution in a public consultation on the Green Paper, which the Commission holds open until 31st of July 2010.
Published by Marta Gaworska 18.04.2010
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CEPF formed a partnership with PEFC International Stakeholder Forum 
Guidance for sustainable mobilization of wood in Europe