Dear Excellencies, dear Delegates,
It is a great honour for the Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF) to participate to today’s Forest Europe Ministerial Conference as an observer organisation. On behalf of CEPF, I would like to thank and congratulate Germany as Chair country and Forest Europe Liaison Unit in Bonn, who have carried out a tremendous work over the last five years and have organised the conference of today in a perfect manner.
CEPF would like to recall the importance of Forest Europe for the 16 million European forest owners and the immense attention and priority they give to this pan-European process.
At a time when forests are facing growing impacts of natural disturbances related to climate change, and at a time when managing our forests is crucial for the future of our society, the title of the Ministerial declaration “Keeping sustainable forest management fit for the future” cannot be more accurate and more timely for European forest owners.
CEPF would like to express its strong support to the way the concept of SFM is addressed in the Ministerial Declaration and we are convinced that the concept of SFM today is still perfectly valid, provides for locally-suited approaches, is fit for purpose, and should be the reference point for any political discussion addressing forests management. This does not mean that this concept is set in stone, on the contrary.
Since this definition provides for a dynamic and evolving concept, we should collectively think on whether criteria and indicators need further adaptation. This is why CEPF considers the work of Forest Europe Think Tank of the upmost importance. This work is essential to prepare the review of criteria and indicators ahead of the next Ministerial Conference, work which CEPF strongly supports. European Forest owners commit to engage and play their role in this work.
CEPF would also like to echo the reaffirmation of the role of multifunctional and sustainably managed forests - and the products deriving from them - in support of achieving a sustainable and climate-neutral economy by 2050, essential for Europe’s security, prosperity and democracy. CEPF is convinced that conditions must be put in place or strengthened at national level to recognise the diversity of forests across Europe.
As a conclusion, CEPF would like to express again its strong support to Forest Europe process and its framework, reiterate its call to use and build on the SFM concept for any political decision addressing forests and to commit, with all its members organisations, to continue contributing to the work on adaptation of SFM criteria and indicators.
