The Danish Forest Association requests the Danish Government to include forestry in its national programme for rural development on an equal footing with agriculture.

The Government intends to spend 6 billion DKK (ca 800 million €) on "the biggest rural area investment project in Danish history". The European Union will pay half and Danish tax payers will pay the other half.
80 % of the money will be spent on improving agricultural competitiveness (axis 1) and on improving the environment and the landscape (axis 2). But Danish forestry is to be left out of this project.
Leaving forestry aside makes no sense at all;
It is in contradiction with the European Union's intentions for the rural development programme.
Leaving forestry out is also in contradiction with the announced intentions of the project to improve competitiveness in the forestry sector.
The purpose of injecting new life into rural areas will not come true if the enormous resources and opportunities offered by the forestry sector are not exploited under the auspices of the programme. Beauty, calm, health, outdoor activities, tourism, employment and wood - the most environment friendly raw material -, biological diversity and environment conservation; all these values will be missed.
Leaving forestry out demonstrates a lack of perspective and it is a waste of resources.
What more is required?
Danish forestry must be fully included in the rural development programme, in line with EU's intentions. Forestry must have access to funds on the same basis as agriculture, both under axis 1 (competitiveness of agriculture and forestry), and under axis 2 (environment and landscape).
The Danish Forest Association requests the Danish Government and the "Folketing", i.e. the Danish Parliament, to consistently write "rural management" instead of "agriculture" in the programme, as well as in future legislation concerning this programme.