Commonly Nature Protection in Forests and Wood Production Play an Essential Role for Sustainable Development in Central and Eastern Europe
Better coordination of policies for forestry and nature protection proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) can help to satisfy increasing needs for recreation and biodiversity in forests, not harming at the same time growing demand in forest products.

This was pointed out by an international FAO workshop organised for Eastern European and Central Asian countries organised in close collaboration with the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Timber Branch of the UN Economic Commission for Europe.
During the last 15 years of transition in Eastern Europe forests have shown their importance for future welfare in the countries and the region as a whole. The workshop stressed that forestry plays an important role for economic prosperity, particularly in rural areas, as roundwood presents an easy accessible fuel, construction material and source of income.
Forests provide significant social and environmental benefits to society in terms of recreation, biodiversity, carbon storage, mitigation of erosion and many others. Climate change challenges forest management in terms of effective contributions to mitigation strategies as well as silviculture adaptation measures, said Mr. Csaba Mozes from the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Many of the divers societal demands from forest management can be realised through market approaches, and involve only marginal governance by the state, whereas some of the essential public services require adequate administration and financing, said Mr. Winfried Süss from Austrian Federal Forest Enterprise.
Forest policy is challenged to take stake for forest land use and to balance the different interests.
The current workshop contributes to capacity building on effective forest policies and institutions, including the major policy areas dealing with forests into a comprehensive approach towards forest land use, has to be seen a prerequisite for successfully coping with the forest land use challenges, said Mr. Volker Sasse from FAO Sub-Regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe. Commonly nature protection in forests and wood production contribute significantly to sustainable development in central and eastern Europe. Education and training of staff is seen the key mean to achieve this objective.