Major achievements in 2005
The major issues of sustainable forest management in the region
were addressed. The European Forest Sector Outlook Study (EFSOS)
was issued at the beginning of the year, with a number of policy
recommendations based on detailed analysis and projection of
trends to 2020. During the year, Governments, the European Union,
stakeholders and the private sector considered the implications of
the EFSOS analysis for their own strategies and policies. In particular
a workshop in Riga explored how forest sector actors should respond
to the increasingly complex and cross-sectoral nature of policy
issues, for instance with the interactions between forest/timber
sector developments and those for energy, environment, water trade
and rural development.
Efforts to support the sustainable development of the forest and
timber sector in countries of the CIS and South-East Europe focused
on capacity building, notably in the areas of information and analysis. A
workshop was held on capacity building for information, focused on the countries
of the Caucasus and Central Asia.
A stream of high quality information and
analysis was provided, focused on statistics on production and trade
of forest products, analysis and discussion of markets, notably the Forest
Products Annual Market Review and the annual timber committee market
discussions. Country profiles were issued on Bulgaria and on Serbia
and Montenegro. A major contribution was made to the Global Forest Resource
assessment issued in December 2005, led by FAO. Data for all countries
in Europe and CIS included in this major contribution to monitoring forest
trends and one of the Millennium Development Goals indicators were collected
and validated. For the first time at global level this study, building on
experience in the UNECE region and elsewhere, was able to provide credible
information on all aspects of sustainable forest management, economic, social and
ecological, according to agreed sets of criteria and indicators.
In 2005 information for the regional discussion on forest law enforcement
and governance, notably illegal logging, was provided. A policy forum was
held on the role of governments in forest certification, which made it possible
to compare and contrast the strategies and priorities of different governments
in
relation to the dynamic development
of certification which, despite being a
voluntary market based instrument, has
multiple consequences for policy, due
to governments’ obligations as forest
owners, as promoters of sustainable
development and free trade.
Major challenges for 2006
The subprogramme will continue to
provide a basis for monitoring and analysis
of sustainable forest management in the
region. The session of the FAO European
Forestry Commission in May 2006 will
address a range of major policy issues
including the lessons learned from 15
years of the transition process in the
sector and the possible consequences
of climate change for European forests
and timber. The report on the State of
Europe’s Forests 2007 for the Ministerial
Conference in Warsaw will be prepared,
further broadening the scope and
improving the quality of the information
provided by UNECE and its partners. A
policy forum on public procurement
of forest products will be held in
conjunction with the Timber Committee
session. Work will continue to improve
the knowledge base for policymaking,
notably in the field of wood energy,
and of illegal logging and trade of forest
products.