Shaping a Future where ForestsContribute to a Sustainable World

Edurne LacalleFOREST EUROPE

EFW Side event12 December 2013

FOREST EUROPE/EFI/METLA Side Event:

“20 years of SFM in the pan-European region”

FOREST EUROPE Who we are

FOREST EUROPE is the pan-European policy process forsustainable management of the continent’s forests.

FOREST EUROPE, founded in 1990, develops common strategies on how to protect and sustainably manage forests.

FOREST EUROPE 46 signatory countries plus the European Union, observer countries and international organizations cooperate for the common good of the continent’s forests.

FOREST EUROPE Leading role in Europe

FOREST EUROPE provides the policy-making framework for ministers responsible for the continent forests to help foster forest growth and management.

Thanks to SFM total forest area in Europe has increased over the past two decades and loss of biodiversity has slowed down.

FOREST EUROPE Milestones

HELSINKI 1993

LISBON 1998 WARSAW 2007STRASBOURG 1990

VIENNA 2003 OSLO 2011

MADRID

FOREST EUROPE Contributions

Definition of SFM (Helsinki 1993):

Sustainable forest management aims to ensure that the goods

and services derived from the forest meet present day needs at

the same time secure their continued availability and contribution

to long-term development.

FOREST EUROPE Contributions

•Commitments on ecological, economical and socio-cultural aspects of SFM

•SFM Guidelines, Criteria and Indicators

•National Forest Programmes Guidelines

•Periodic assessment and reporting: State of Europe’s Forests

FOREST EUROPE Guidelines

To achieve and implement SFM:

•“General guidelines for sustainable forest management” (Helsinki in 1993, H1) •“General guidelines for conservation of biological diversity of forests in Europe” (Helsinki in 1993, H2) Elaborated as general political guiding principles .•“Pan-European Operational Guidelines for Sustainable Forest Management” (Lisbon 1998 ) Translating international commitments to SFM practices and planning.•“Pan-European Guidelines for Afforestation and Reforestation”•2008) . Special focus on the provisions of the UNFCCC.

FOREST EUROPE Criteria & Indicators

Six criteria to safeguard the ecological, economic and socio-

cultural functions of forest:

1. To maintain and enhance forest resources and their contribution to global carbon cycles;2. To maintain forest ecosystems’ health and vitality;3. To maintain and encourage the productive functions of forests (wood and non-wood);4. To maintain, protect and enhance the biological diversity in forest ecosystems;5. To maintain, conserve and enhance the protective functions of forest (notably soil and water);6. To maintain the other socio-economic functions and conditions.

FOREST EUROPE Criteria & Indicators

Improved C&I set from Vienna 2002

The fulfilment of the criteria can be evaluated through a set of35 quantitative indicators.

Besides these criteria the status and changes in policies, institutions and instruments related to sustainable forest management is assessed through a set of 17 qualitative indicators.

FOREST EUROPE Assessment

•At national level : SFM reporting and monitoring are encouraged using pan-European C&I

•At regional level: Up-to date information on European forests and SFM is regularly presented and reported

The third edition was State of Europe’s Forests 2011.

We are already working on the next edition.

FOREST EUROPE

Following Oslo Conference 2011:

• Oslo Decision European Forests 2020

• Oslo Ministerial Mandate for Negotiating a Legally Binding Agreement on Forests in Europe

Objectivesand key issues

FOREST EUROPE

FOREST EUROPE has developed a Work Programme for the period until the Madrid Ministerial Conference:

Work Programme

1- Sustainable Forest Management and tools

2- Monitoring and reporting

3- Illegal logging and related trade

4- Valuation of ecosystem services

5- Social Issues and Green Economy

8- International activities

7- Communication activities

6- Servicing INC-Forests

FOREST EUROPE Work Programme

1- Further development Sustainable Forest Management and tools

Consolidate the pan-European policies and tools for sustainable forest management, taking into account biodiversity and climate change commitments, the role of forests owners, emerging threats and other pressures on forest resources.

FOREST EUROPE Work Programme

1- Further development Sustainable Forest Management and tools

1.1 State of the art

FOREST EUROPE and EFI are working on the “State of the art” of

the Implementation of former decisions on SUSTAINABLE FOREST

MANAGEMENT in monitoring and reporting

Thank you for your attention

Shaping a Future where ForestsContribute to a Sustainable WorldShaping a Future where Forests

Contribute to a Sustainable World