Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests

in Europe

by PIOTR GRYGIER

Structure of the MCPFE

MINISTERIAL CONFERENCESAt Ministerial Conferences the ministers responsible for forests in Europe take decisions on common aspects of highest political relevance regarding forests and forestry.Ministerial Conferences on the Protection of Forests in Europe took place in 1990 in Strasbourg, in 1993 in Helsinki, in 1998 in Lisbon, in 2003 in Vienna and in 2007 in Warsaw.

EXPERT LEVEL MEETINGS, ROUND TABLE MEETINGS, AD HOC WORKING GROUPS, WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS

Fifth Ministerial Conference - Warsaw 2007

The Fifth Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe was held on 5 – 7 November 2007, in Warsaw, Poland. The Conference theme: “Forests for Quality of Life” highlighted of contemporary challenges and decisions to assure that Europe’s forests continue to be managed sustainably and provide benefits to the best of their potential. The Ministerial Declaration and two Warsaw Resolutions embraced requirements for political response and decisions on the issues of promotion of wood as a renewable energy carrier and the role of forests in water protection in the context of climate change. The following documents were signed during the Conference by high level representatives of 38 European Countries and the European Community, and 2 more countries that signed these documents after the Conference.   

•Warsaw Declaration •Warsaw Resolution 1: Forests, Wood and Energy •Warsaw Resolution 2: Forests and Water

Two Ministerial Statements were adopted by acclamation:

•Ministerial Statement on Pan-European Forest Week 2008 •Ministerial Statement on Forest Fires

Mutual statement of the organisations assigned to the Major Group “Social NGOs” to the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue at the Warsaw Conference, November 2007

ENFE European Network of Forest EntrepreneursBWI Building and Wood Workers’ International UEF Union of European ForestersPEFC Programme for the Endorsement of Forest

Certification Schemes

Responsibility for Forests This grouping of forest practitioners, professionals, contractors, forest workers and specialists on forest management and certification who have been assigned under the Major Group “Social NGOs” are delighted to be invited to present our views to the deliberations of the 5th MCPFE. We share the concerns of the signatories of the Warsaw declaration that the conditions of life on earth are threatened, and that today, and increasingly in the future, the sustainable use of natural resources is an ongoing and increasingly important necessity. The contribution of forests to the quality of life has many aspects. One is the role forests play as a work place, providing employment and income. Thus, forests and the use of their resources and services are an important factor in rural economies and a mainstay in the fabric of rural society. This economic function was highlighted in the Vienna “Living Forest Summit”, where the mission statement “Sustainable Forest Management needs a Sustainable Workforce” was emphasised.

Creating “forests for quality of life” is a goal which can only be achieved through the responsible activities of those people engaged in management and forest operations. Therefore, whilst we wish to use this opportunity to draw attention to the social dimension of forestry which is to protect and ensure the multiple values and services forests offer to society, we wish equally to emphasis the role forestry plays as a source of employment and income, in particular the social role in contributing to maintaining and strengthening local communities and providing sustainable employment in rural areas.

Active management of Renewable Resources by Public Procurement policies We firmly believe that there will be an increasing demand for wood both for industrial use and energy in the future. Therefore we welcome the signatories´ commitment to take effective measures to increase the use of woody biomass for energy generation, taking into account the importance of processing residues and recovered wood as renewable energy sources, and the signatories’ commitment to encourage partnerships aimed at the development of markets for bio-energy. We will play our part in contributing to the mobilization of the wood needed to generate more value to forests and forest products by making use of our practical knowledge of forest management, harvesting techniques and logistics. We welcome the signatories´ intention to further strengthen efforts to promote good governance and forest law enforcement to combat illegal logging and related trade of forest products, inter alia by cooperating on and promoting public procurement policies that demand timber and timber products from legal and sustainable sources. In order to support rural development and secure sustainable employment in fair markets, we urge the signatories to the MCPFE to make use of and support the use of the MCPFE Criteria and Indicators and the Pan-European Operational Level Guidelines (PEOLG) for Sustainable Forest Management as the basis for both public and private procurement of timber based products, to achieve a harmonized approach to procurement policies throughout Europe.

Human resources need active development European foresters, forestry workers, contractors and their representative bodies, supported by forestry certification systems, have a firm understanding of their responsibilities for sustainable forest management and sustainable development. This relates to the protection of nature and environment in their forest operations, including the protection of water quality, and also their awareness of the importance of the use of renewable resources from forests. This however requires foresters, forestry workers and contractors themselves to have opportunities for secure jobs and a satisfactory income together with the opportunities to develop their careers and entrepreneurship. However the reality of strong economic pressures in globalised markets, mean that these social values are not universally guaranteed. Therefore, the commitment to strengthen good governance and law enforcement is very important because this will, together with the implementation of the MCPFE Criteria and Indicators supported by voluntary forest and service certification, help combat the undermining of social standards; improve health and safety and contribute to the development of human resources needed for sustainable forest management.

Strengthen Employment The forestry sector is in a competitive situation. We are highly concerned that income opportunities in forestry are, in many cases, not competitive with other forms of employment. This can be seen as a severe restraint to achieving the goals laid out in the Warsaw Declaration and the Resolutions. Therefore, it is a crucial challenge for all actors in forestry, on both a political and a practical level, to agree means to strengthen forest and forest sector related human resources and employment to fulfil this commitment of the Warsaw declaration. For an optimisation of all aspects of modern, multi-functional forestry, qualified forest personnel in sufficient numbers is crucial. Education and Communication Education and communication of the goals of sustainable management, water protection and increased wood mobilisation are prerequisites to raise the qualification of foresters, workers and contractors, and to affirm their commitment to contribute to these goals. We are pleased to acknowledge that many commitments of the Warsaw Declaration and Resolutions aim at improving communication and raising awareness. However, it is imperative that this message reaches all actors in forest management and forest operations. To this end appropriate means need to be developed and implemented both at a political and a practical level.

Foresters, workers, contractors and certifiers are entrusted with the responsibility for creating Forests for Quality of Life so we will play our role as an essential bridge between the commitments and demands from society and industry for development. The European Network of Forest Entrepreneurs, the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers, the Union of European Foresters and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes affirm that these umbrella organisations together with their members and representative bodies will make every effort to support putting the commitments of the Signatories of the Warsaw Declaration and Resolutions into reality towards Forests for Quality of Life.

Upcoming events2008/10/20European Forest Week2008/11/03Conference "EU funding for Environmental Projects"2008/11/12MCPFE Expert Level Meeting2008/11/27Meeting MCPFE Working Group "Exploring the potential added value of and possible options for a legally binding agreement"

Welcome to the European Forest Week 2008 Web site

European Forest Week 2008 celebrates the contribution of European forests in mitigating climate change,providing wood and renewable energy, securing the supply of fresh water and protecting our environment.

The week was declared by the ministers responsible for forests of 46 European countries and is being jointly organized by the European Commission, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, in close collaboration with the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, France.

During the week of 20-24 October, a series of meetings will be held by these entities and other European forestry-related partners at the Food and Agriculture Organization Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The Rome events will bring together hundreds of individuals from governments, non-governmental organizations, research institutions, regional and international networks, United Nations agencies and the private sector. Senior forestry and other sector-related officials from all over Europe will attend. The meetings will provide a unique opportunity for diverse stakeholders and forest managers to share perspectives and seek solutions to some of the most challenging issues facing forests and forestry today: climate change, energy and water.

In conjunction with the Rome meetings, a high-profile European Union Presidency event will be held in Brussels (20 October) and a number of national and local events will take place in participating countries throughout Europe.

Working together for sustainable forest management in EuropeCALL FOR ORGANIZATION OF NATIONAL EVENTS

The objectives of National Forest Week are to:

•Increase the visibility of the forest based-sector and its contribution to development of economy and society in Europe.

•Raise awareness about its important contributions to mitigating climate change, providing freshwater and protecting the environment.

•Engage other sectors in a participatory dialogue on forest related issues.

The European Forest Week will provide an umbrella for forest-related events organized by the public and private sectors as well as civil society throughout Europe. It is organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the Ministerial Conference for the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE) and the European Commission (EC), in close collaboration with the European Union Presidency at the time of the event, France.

At the regional level, the week will be marked by a series of events in Rome and Brussels including press conferences, high-level policy discussions and networking opportunities on a number of topical themes, including climate change, energy and water in relation to the forest sector.National dimension

Countries are invited to organize events to address forest issues of national relevance, sharing the objectives of the week and explicitly linked with it. These could be conferences or policy forums, public events such as forest fairs, nature walks or exhibits, symbolic events such as tree planting, or media events aimed at improved communication. A dedicated Web site (www.EuropeanForestWeek.org) will link to national events and will provide suggested messages, a media kit and information resources for event organizers. The sponsoring organizations are not in a position however to provide financial support for national events.

Countries considering the organization of national events or other contributions to European Forest Week are invited to contactMaria Casa.