Brussels – Last week the European Economic and Social committee (EESC) adopted an opinion with the headline “Wood – Energy source in the enlarging Europe”. The exploratory opinion was requested by the commissioners Fischer Boel, Piebalgs and Rehn in July last year and pays tribute to the Committee's role as a consultative body to the European Parliament, Council and European Commission in the field of agriculture and forestry issues. The opinion is promoting the huge potential of renewable energy that the European forests can contribute to the overall energy supply. Momentarily only around 60 % of the annual forest growth is harvested. To enhance the use of the main forest resource wood, there is simultaneously an urgent need to advance harvesting techniques and logistics. Raising awareness among energy consumers, municipalities, forest owners and stakeholders is also of vital importance.
It is further concluded that there is an obvious need to share best practises between countries, especially towards the Eastern European countries, where the wood energy market is presently highly emerging. In the near future the wood energy markets will play a vital role in contributing to the overall economical viability of the European Forest-based sector. However, mobilisation of wood for purposes like building and paper production are just as well on the agenda.
The Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF) is warmly welcoming the EESC opinion “Wood – Energy source in the enlarging Europe” and congratulates the Finnish rapporteur Seppo Kallio and his expert Tage Fredriksson from the Forestry development centre TAPIO in Finland on a promising paper. CEPF favours that it will be recognised in political processes like the development of the EU Forestry action plan as well as provide a guideline throughout the numerous different bio-energy related issues within the EU.