Exchanging country’s experiences in the nfp processes on practical application of the MCPFE Approach to nfps in Europe 22-24 November 2004, Gdansk, Poland

The international discussion on national forest programmes (nfp) started at Conference

on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992). It was continued under the

auspices of Intergovernmental Panel on Forests and Intergovernmental Forum on

Forests (IPF/IFF) and is still high on the agenda of United Nations Forum on Forests

(UNFF). In 1997 IPF encouraged countries to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate

national forest programmes. Many governments have reajusted existing forest policy or

developed nfps in order to achieve the primary goal of modern forest policy that is

sustainable forestry.

The MCPFE has worked on a concept of nfp in the European context since 1999. Two

workshops (Tulln, Austria, 1999; Lillehammer, Norway, 2001) and Preparatory Group

on national forest programmes (Riga, Latvia, 2002) resulted in a foundation of the

MCPFE Approach to National Forest Programmes in Europe.

In April 2003, at the Vienna Conference, the European ministers responsible for forests

and high-level representatives of 40 European countries and the European Community

endorsed the Vienna Declaration and five Vienna Resolutions. The MCPFE Approach to

National Forest Programmes in Europe is included in the annex to the Vienna

Resolution 1: “Strengthen Synergies for Sustainable Forest Management in Europe

Through Cross-Sectoral Co-operation and National Forest Programmes.”

While all commitments of the Vienna Conference are implemented at the national level,

added value can be created by joint implementation of some actions at the pan-European

level. The European ministers responsible for forests decided to "develop a work

programme for the implementation of the commitments of the Fourth Ministerial

Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe and the reinforced implementation of

previous commitments, in co-operation with all relevant organizations, institutions and

processes".