1. EUROPEAN FORESTRY COMMISSION Thirtieth session Rome, 9-13 October 2000 TIMBER COMMITTEE Fifty-eighth session STATE OF FORESTRY IN THE REGION: SYNTHESIS OF NATIONAL STATEMENTS by Kit Prins Chief, Timber Section UN/ECE Trade Division

2. EUROPEAN FORESTRY COMMISSION Thirtieth session Rome, 9-13 October 2000 TIMBER COMMITTEE Fifty-eighth session Topics of presentation Background Synthesis of national statements What next?

3. EUROPEAN FORESTRY COMMISSION Thirtieth session Rome, 9-13 October 2000 TIMBER COMMITTEE Fifty-eighth session Background EFC mandate to “review, on a regular basis, national forest policies and selected topical policy issues.. in order to review implementation at the national level of the provisions of UNCED and the pan- European process, and as support for national policy makers”

4. EUROPEAN FORESTRY COMMISSION Thirtieth session Rome, 9-13 October 2000 TIMBER COMMITTEE Fifty-eighth session Process Countries asked to report on developments since 1998 as regards forest policy, national forest programmes, legal and institutional framework, and to draw attention to important issues. National reports posted on website Synthesis of replies received by July (14 countries) in FO:EFC/00/2

5. EUROPEAN FORESTRY COMMISSION Thirtieth session Rome, 9-13 October 2000 TIMBER COMMITTEE Fifty-eighth session Forest policy (1) All stress balance between three elements of SFM, and need for cross/sectoral, holistic approach Many explicitly link national level to regional and international level (IPF/IFF, MCPFE, EU) Processes vary between countries

6. EUROPEAN FORESTRY COMMISSION Thirtieth session Rome, 9-13 October 2000 TIMBER COMMITTEE Fifty-eighth session Forest policy (2) Speed of change has not diminished: most countries have recently revised their statement of national forest policy or are in the process of doing so International developments appear to have stimulated this.

7. EUROPEAN FORESTRY COMMISSION Thirtieth session Rome, 9-13 October 2000 TIMBER COMMITTEE Fifty-eighth session National forest programmes Many European countries have undertaken/completed an nfp (see table 1) nfps often incorporated into traditional policy formulation processes widespread formal consultation/participation

8. EUROPEAN FORESTRY COMMISSION Thirtieth session Rome, 9-13 October 2000 TIMBER COMMITTEE Fifty-eighth session Legal framework The set of national statements is an important reference source on status of forest law in Europe legal frameworks overhauled when necessary, notably when there are changes outside the sector (transition process, devolution, new environmental demands etc.)

9. EUROPEAN FORESTRY COMMISSION Thirtieth session Rome, 9-13 October 2000 TIMBER COMMITTEE Fifty-eighth session Criteria and indicators, certification, standards Several countries developed national C+I National forestry standards based n participatory processes, have been developed in a few countries Strategies with regard to certification have been clarified Coexistence of two systems (FSC and PEFC): efforts to minimise divergences in practice

10. EUROPEAN FORESTRY COMMISSION Thirtieth session Rome, 9-13 October 2000 TIMBER COMMITTEE Fifty-eighth session Conservation of biodiversity Identification of areas for protection strategies to implement CBD inventories of biodiversity incorporation of environmental impact studies into forest strategies training and extension

11. EUROPEAN FORESTRY COMMISSION Thirtieth session Rome, 9-13 October 2000 TIMBER COMMITTEE Fifty-eighth session The international dimension UNCED, IPF/IFF CBD, Desertification Convention Climate change (Kyoto) MCPFE EU Forest Strategy, relevant directives, regional programmes Natura 2000 IYM

12. EUROPEAN FORESTRY COMMISSION Thirtieth session Rome, 9-13 October 2000 TIMBER COMMITTEE Fifty-eighth session Transition issues Restitution and transfer of ownership to individuals or communes need to support private sector need to raise awareness of forest issues at highest political levels Convergence of main concerns between transition countries and others

13. EUROPEAN FORESTRY COMMISSION Thirtieth session Rome, 9-13 October 2000 TIMBER COMMITTEE Fifty-eighth session Economic viability of forestry Cause of concern “The biggest obstacles (to SFM) lie in the realm of finance, and particularly in the profitability of forest management” (Poland) Some programmes to mitigate the situation Does this topic need more emphasis?

14. EUROPEAN FORESTRY COMMISSION Thirtieth session Rome, 9-13 October 2000 TIMBER COMMITTEE Fifty-eighth session What next? Joint session should review/comment synthesis and national statements Take discussion into account for future activities Agree to issue synthesis (revised) as a publication (comments to secretariat by 30 November)