PRESIDENCY REPORT ON THE PAST TERM Forest matters in the EU and new member organisations Vice-President Håkan Nystrand

1. Forest matters of the European Union 1.1 UEF Brussels committee  Chairman Håkan Nystrand  Piotr Paschalis  Kees Mol  Alex Christodoulou  Peter Harland

1. Forest matters of the European Union 1.2 UEF Round Table Meetings  each year , February-April  chaired by the chairman of the committee  informal and open atmosphere

1. Forest matters of the European Union 1.2 UEF Round Table Meetings Participants  Commission  Organisations active in the forestry and environmental field  persons attended the meetings Matters discussed  EU Forest strategy  coordinating of the EU forest matters  forests and forestry in the Constitution draft  forest certification

1. Forest matters of the European Union 1.3 Representations in Committees and groups  Advisory Committe on Forestry and Cork (DG Agriculture) Kees Mol, vice-president until  Advisory Group on Forestry and Cork (DG Agriculture) Niels Christiansen, member from 2004  Advisory Committee on Forestry and Forestry-based Industries (DG Enterprise) Peter Harland (suppl. Kees Mol)

1. Forest matters of the European Union 1.4 Other EU contacts and lobby work  Meetings o EU Commission representatives o Members of the European Parliament o Forestry organisations  Continuous contacts to officials and organisations

1. Forest matters of the European Union 1.5 Statements of the positions of UEF and joint positions  UEF positions and statements important part of the work o promote the interests of the members of UEF o impact and visibility  Round Table Meetings o forum for presenting the positions o Commission, forest, environmental organisations

1. Forest matters of the European Union 1.5 Statements of the positions of UEF and joint positions The joint positions on EU Forest matters  Planned and presented in cooperation  High number of organisations  Forest owners, forest industry, other groups.

1. Forest matters of the European Union 1.5 Statements of the positions of UEF and joint positions 2003: The European Union and the Forestry - A statement of the position of the Union of European Foresters 2004: Joint position on the Proposal for the inclusion of Forests and Forestry in the draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe 2005: A position statement of the Union of European Foresters on the Proposal for a Council regulation on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) 2005: Joint position letter - European forest sector welcomes Communication reporting on the implementation of the EU Forestry Strategy and the elaboration of an EU Action Plan for sustainable forestry

2. Contacts to new member organisations - active through the whole term -contact information to potential new members was listed -exchange activities part of the work for a growing UEF

2. Contacts to new member organisations New members  Norsk Forstmannsforening (Norway)  Society of Irish Foresters (Ireland)  Society of Finnish Professional Foresters