Together with the report "Europeans and their Forests" published by the MCPFE and the FCN in 2003, it constitutes the most comprehensive insight into public perceptions as regards forests and forest-based products.
The report shows that Europeans in general have a clearly positive attitude towards wood. According to the available survey data, it is a material considered natural, warm, healthy, good-looking, easy to use and environmentally friendly by a majority of people across Europe. People feel well when surrounded by wood, and thus above all associate wood's use with interiors and furniture. It is evident that most people think of solid wood only, when asked about wood in general. Wood seems to provide a link back to nature, to forests and trees.
When asked, consumers in a range of different countries across Europe usually report that quality and price combine with wood species as the main product attributes infl uencing purchase decisions. In general, the European consumers regard quality, durability, appealing shape and material, and economic price as the most important product attributes across a number of wood product categories. Environmental aspects such as natural product and environmental compatibility were ranked comparatively low, which is largely consistent with actual average purchasing behavior.
http://www.forestplatform.org/index.php?mid=55&a=show&id=125
The report "Europeans and Wood: What do Europeans Think about Wood and its Uses? A review of Consumer and Business Surveys in Europe" by Ewald Rametsteiner, Roland Oberwimmer and Ingwald Gschwandtl, has recently been published by the MCPFE (Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe - former Liason Unit Warsaw) and the UN-FAO/ECE Forest Communicators Network (FCN).