1. DG AGRI, Unit F6 Bioenergy, biomass, forestry and climatic changes
DG AGRI: activities related to forestry 26th meeting of Working Group “Forestry Statistics” Luxembourg February 2006
Tamas SZEDLAK
DG AGRI, Unit F6 Bioenergy, biomass, forestry and climatic changes

2. Implementation of the EU Forestry Strategy
Council Resolution of 15 December 1998 on a Forestry Strategy for the European Union
Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament reporting on the implementation of the EU Forestry Strategy, COM(2005) 84 final, 10 March 2005.
Council Conclusions on an EU Forest Action Plan, 30 May 2005.
Preparation of an EU Forest Action plan, to be presented in June 2006.
DG AGRI: activities related to forestry, 13 February 2006

3. Implementation of the EU Forestry Strategy
Preparation of an EU Forest Action plan in close co-operation with the Member States and stakeholders.
Workshops (2) of invited experts to discuss the vision part and the strategic objectives for the EU Forest Action Plan, September 2006.
Working groups (3) within the Standing Forestry Committee, December 2005 and January 2006.
Inputs from stakeholder groups.
Inter-Service Group on Forestry consultations.
Advisory Group on Forestry and Cork, 10 March 2006.
Final draft for final discussion to the Standing Forestry Committee 17 March 2006.
DG AGRI: activities related to forestry, 13 February 2006

4. Co-operation and co-ordination
Standing Forestry Committee (89/367/EEC). Six meetings in 2005.
Advisory Group on Forestry and Cork (98/234/EC) two meetings in 2005.
Inter-Service Group on Forestry (since 2001) chaired by DG AGRI (11 DGs).
DG AGRI: activities related to forestry, 13 February 2006

5. EFICS preparation action
Following a call for tenders (2005/S ), the Commission awarded a service contract for the implementation of a preparatory action aimed at developing an internet-based European Forest Information and Communication Platform (EFICP).
Kick-off meeting with the contractor January 2006.
DG AGRI: activities related to forestry, 13 February 2006

6. Forest protection regulations
Technical and financial management of projects and programmes approved until 2002 regarding the protection of forests against atmospheric pollution (Council Regulation (EEC) No 3528/86) and the protection of forests against fires (Council Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92).
It is foreseen that all remaining programmes will be closed in 2006.
DG AGRI: activities related to forestry, 13 February 2006

7. Ministerial Conferences on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE)
Participation in the MCPFE-Expert Level Meeting held in Warsaw in September 2005 and in the preparation of the 5th Ministerial Conference, scheduled to take place in 2007/2008.
DG AGRI: activities related to forestry, 13 February 2006

8. Needs and demands on forestry statistical information
Taking into account the different activities there is a need for
physical (i.e.: area, volume based and biodiversity and forest health-related statistical data) and
economic data (i.e. labour productivity, gross fixed capital formation in forestry) on forestry.
In addition, the set of the improved MCPFE indicators for sustainable forest management, as adopted by the MCPFE Expert Level Meeting of 7-8 October 2002 (Vienna) serves as an important tool for forest monitoring purposes.
DG AGRI: activities related to forestry, 13 February 2006

9. Rural Development
Council Regulation (EC) N° 1698/2005 of 20 September 2005 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
A "Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework" is being established (Art. 80). It aims at putting in place indicators to monitor and assess the achievements of rural development policy (Art. 81).
Three sets of indicators:
output and result indicators for monitoring,
baseline (and impact) indicators for evaluation purposes. The Commission has proposed a list of indicators, to be included in the implementing rules, which is currently under discussion with the Member States.
DG AGRI: activities related to forestry, 13 February 2006

10. Rural Development
DG AGRI (Unit G2) is in charge of providing statistics for the baseline indicators.
Indicators selected among the existing statistics, on the basis of their relevance, comparability and availability for EU-25:
"Baseline indicators related to objectives" - among which the so-called "lead indicators" reflect the EU priorities as laid down in the Community Strategic Guidelines-, and
"Baseline indicators for context".
Member States are expected :
to build national strategy & rural development plans,
to report regularly and evaluate on the basis of indicators,
to maintain the statistical data used for these indicators over the period, both in terms of definitions and data collect.
DG AGRI: activities related to forestry, 13 February 2006

11. Forestry in Rural Development 2007-2013
Axis 1. Improving the competitiveness of the agriculture and forestry sector
measures aiming at promoting knowledge and improving human potential,
measures aiming at restructuring physical potential and promoting innovation.
Axis 2. Improving the environment and the countryside
Measures targeting the sustainable use of forestry land
DG AGRI: activities related to forestry, 13 February 2006

12. List of baseline indicators concerning Forestry
Baseline indicators related to objectives:
Axis 1: 'Improving the competitiveness of agricultural and forestry sector‘
14- Labour productivity in forestry (GVA/employee)
15- Gross Fixed Capital Formation in forestry
Axis 2: 'Improving the environment and the countryside through land management‘
18- Biodiversity: Tree species composition (% coniferous / % broadleaved / % mixed on FOWL)
24- Climate change: production of renewable energy from agriculture and forestry
DG AGRI: activities related to forestry, 13 February 2006

13. List of baseline indicators concerning Forestry
Baseline indicators for context:
Horizontal
9- Land cover (% agricultural / forest / natural / built-up area)
Axis 1: 'Improving the competitiveness of agricultural and forestry sector'
12- Forestry structure
- Area of forest available for wood supply (FAWS)
-Ownership: % area of FAWS under potentially ‘eligible ownership’ i.e. % of FAWS under private ownership & % of AWS owned by public institutions other than State (cities, municipalities, villages and communes)
-Average size of private holding (FOWL)
13- Forest productivity (average net annual volume increment, for FAWS)
DG AGRI: activities related to forestry, 13 February 2006

14. List of baseline indicators concerning Forestry
Baseline indicators for context:
Axis 2: 'Improving the environment and the countryside through land management'
17- Biodiversity: protected forest (MCPFE 4.9 & should be included in MCPFE 2007)
18- Development of forest area (average annual increase of forest area)
19- Forest ecosystem health (defoliation)
22- Protective forests concerning primarily soil, water and other ecosystem functions
( MCPFE 5.1 class 3.1. It should be included in MCPFE 2007)
DG AGRI: activities related to forestry, 13 February 2006