Hauptverband der Land- und Forstwirtschaftsbetriebe Österreichs

ELO 07.10.2004

Forest Policyin Europe

Hauptverband der Land- und Forstwirtschaftsbetriebe Österreichs

ELO 07.10.2004

1. Some figures about forest and wood in Europe:

• Total forest area (EU 25): 162 Mio. ha or 40 % of EU land area

• Productive forests: 87 Million ha

• 5 % of worlds forest, but provide 12 % of global felling of roundwood and 23 % of global industrial wood

• 15 Million private family forest owners

• 60 % of forest are (15 % in Greece, 83 % Austria) managed by families

• Small scale ownership: average size 5 ha

• FBI (EU 15) employs 2.7 Million people and has a turnover of 335 Billion €

• FBI (CEEC) employs 650.000 people and has a turnover of 20.6 Billion €

Hauptverband der Land- und Forstwirtschaftsbetriebe Österreichs

ELO 07.10.2004

2. Characteristics of forest management in Europe

• Multifunctional forest management (balancing economic, social, ecological and cultural requirements

• High natural diversity (from Lappland to Crete) of stands; diverse cultures of management and cooperation; various traditions and experiences

• Generation contract• Local ownership, contributing to economic and social

sustainability of communities• Nature oriented management (integration of nature

conservation values)• Only 1 % of EU forests undisturbed by man, but over

2/3 are seminatural• 12 % protected areas• Annual increase of wood and forest land

Hauptverband der Land- und Forstwirtschaftsbetriebe Österreichs

ELO 07.10.2004

3. Forestry in EU Policy

• Forest + timber are not part of EU treaties (Rome treaty): no special EU competence over forestry

• ART 32/3 EG – treaty without wood

• Subsidiarity

• No market regulation for wood

Hauptverband der Land- und Forstwirtschaftsbetriebe Österreichs

ELO 07.10.2004

4. Forestry in EU Policy

• Many regulations concerning forests and wood, but no coordination and no strong strategy in favour of wood:

• Council Regulation 3528/86: protection of forests against atmospheric pollution

• Council Regulation 1467/94: genetic ressources• Directive 1999/105/EG: marketing of reproductive

material • Forest focus regulation (2002): monitoring of forests and

environmental interactions• Natura 2000 (FFH, Birds directive)• EFICS: European Forestry Information and

Communication System (1615/89), data collection about forest sector

Hauptverband der Land- und Forstwirtschaftsbetriebe Österreichs

ELO 07.10.2004

• EC 1257/99 Rural development

• Biodiversity strategy 1998 and Community Biodiversity Action Plan adopted

• Kyoto Protocol 1997 and 2001 European Climate Change Programme

• FLEGT

• Revision of the EU forestry strategy (1999/C56/01) in progress

Hauptverband der Land- und Forstwirtschaftsbetriebe Österreichs

ELO 07.10.2004

5. Coordination and support needed

• Efforts to include forestry under Article 1-16 of the Draft Constitutional Treaty on “Areas for supporting, coordinating or complementary action” in 2003/2004 without success

• Concentration on the revision of the EU forest strategy

Hauptverband der Land- und Forstwirtschaftsbetriebe Österreichs

ELO 07.10.2004

6. Our Partners at EU Level

CEPF: specialised in forestry issues

ELO: general ownership matters

Hauptverband der Land- und Forstwirtschaftsbetriebe Österreichs

ELO 07.10.2004

7. Action in Brussels

→ Member in different Commission Advisory Commitées (forestry + corke, Rural Development, Climate Change)

→ Lobbying in EU institutions• DG Agri, Environment, Enterprise, Trade • Parliament→ CEPF+CEPI+Cei Bois Working groups• Natura 2000 Forum (ELO,CEPF,FACE, Fishers)→ CEPF Working Group for Climate Change,

Communication etc.→ Close Cooperation between CEPF and the Certification

System PEFC