Brussels – During the forum on „Economic importance of forests in an enlarged Europe – the socio-economic prospects of forestry“ the forest-timber sector closed ranks in front of the European institutions, to emphasize the strengths and shortcomings of a European forest model.

The ministers Josef Miller of Bavaria and Hans-Heinrich Ehlen of Lower-Saxony in Germany and the Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF) as well as C.A.R.M.E.N. (Centrales Agrar-Rohstoff-Markets-und Entwicklungs) had invited to this event in Brussels because of the important phase of current EU forestry policy.
The EU action plan for sustainable forest management, which will be dealt with by European decision makers and lobbyists within the coming months, as well as the latest developments of the directive concerning rural development have been the core topics of the event. It has been made obvious, that a common forestry policy is still unwanted, but there is a need for large scale changes to achieve a better coordination of national forest policies at EU level.
Dirk Ahner, deputy director general of DG Agri underlined the „need to communicate the European forestry model also internationally with one voice!“ However, there was uncertainty how this can be achieved. There has been agreement, now that the environmental pillar of sustainability has found much more attention with European politicians, it is the right time to bring the socio-economic significance of European forests to bear.
Forest-based industries prefer to invest in locations outside the union, because Europe doesn’t seem to be attractive any more: „In comparison logistic has fallen behind, particularly in the forests of central Europe“, said Wilhelm Vorher, chairman of the forestry-committee of the pulp and paper industry. This trend could put estimated 3,5 million jobs within the sector in Europe at risk. The forest-based industry as well as the government representatives, agreed in the importance and key function of private forest owners associations regarding to the success of forest activities.
Within the EU only 55% of the annual growth in timber is harvested. Thus European forests contain considerable amounts of wood, which could be mobilised. Competitiveness as well as environmental policy, such as CO2 reduction, depend on the utility of the renewable material wood. Federations of forest owners not only function as sources of information or offer consultation services they also act as accredited lobbyists, furthermore they motivate European family forest owners to invest in active sustainable forestry management by grouping their members, who on average hold forests of a size of 13 hectares.
In case the support for these forest owner associations would be dropped, as foreseen in the present draft of the commission for the rural development, essential structures would break down and new one - as in the 10 new member states - couldn’t even be able to emerge. The target „Help forest owners to help themselves“, as Marian von Gravenreuth of the Bavarian forest owners confederation put it bluntly, would be missed. Will the European forestry model in its pioneer function then only remain a model?