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February-March 2017 / Number 62
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Dear Reader
In this edition of the eustafor.express we welcome a new member: Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst (State Forests of Saxony) joined EUSTAFOR as of 1 January 2017. With two new members who joined EUSTAFOR with the beginning of 2017, Slovenian SIDG and Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst, the number of EUSTAFOR members raised up to 32 in 22 European countries.
First two months of 2017 was a very reach period as regards various activities EUSTAFOR took part in. In January, the Executive Committee met in Finland to guide the work of Executive Office in upcoming months, and the first meeting of the Internal Working Group on Climate Change took place in Brussels and produced EUSTAFOR’s Position Paper on post-2020 EU Policy. Ahead of us is the the international forum “The Value of Wood” as well as the Forest City Project 2017 in which EUSTAFOR takes prominent roles. In a couple of weeks the representatives of State Forest Management Organizations will be hosted by the colleagues from Office National des Forets (ONF) at the upcoming workshop on Forest Fires organized on 26-27 April in Aix-en-Provence (France).
There are also many relevant and important updates on the rapidly developing EU Policy discussions, including crucial developments regarding the finalization of the EUSTAFOR’s joint position paper on the Renewable Energy Directive proposal (RED Recast).
Last but not least, we look forward to seeing you in Brussels on 20-21 March 2017 for the EUSTAFOR General Assembly and the celebration of the International Day of Forests!
Piotr Borkowski
Executive Director
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Executive Committee meeting in Suomusjärvi, Finland on 10-11 January 2017
The EUSTAFOR Executive Committee, hosted by Metsahällitus, kicked off 2017 in a log cabin in Suomusjärvi (Finland). The meeting discussed EUSTAFOR’s increasing membership, internal activities including the arrangements for the General Assembly 2017 and also provided further direction on policy developments.
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State Forests of Saxony joins EUSTAFOR!
Sachsenforst (State Forests of Saxony) has recently joined EUSTAFOR. In the Free State of Saxony, forests cover more than 520.000 hectares (28 %) of the land area. The state-owned enterprise Sachsenforst, founded on 1 January 2006, is part of the Saxon public administration as a special superior state authority. It signs responsible for the multifunctional, sustainable…
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#ForestCityProject
EUSTAFOR has the great pleasure of inviting you to the International Forum “The Value of Wood,” which will be held in Brussels on the International Day of Forests (21 March 2017). Join us for two panel discussions and keynote speeches on the topic of wood and its importance for the bioeconomy and a more sustainable future. The event is hosted by MEP Paul Brannen, who will also moderate the first panel. MEP Henna Virkunnen will moderate the second panel. EUSTAFOR’s President, Per-Olof Wedin, is a key-note speaker on the theme “How Forests Boost the Bioeconomy.” The event will be followed by a cocktail.
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Registration open for the Forest Fire Seminar organized by ONF in France
ONF is pleased to invite the State Forest Management Organisations, members of EUSTAFOR network, to the Workshop “Forest Fires, a growing risk due to Climate Change” 25- 27 April 2017 which will take place in the area of Aix-en-Provence, in the South of France.
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Renewable Energy Directive Recast – Joint position paper state of the art
On 30 November 2016, the European Commission presented a proposal for new sustainability criteria for forest biomass as a part of the “Clean Energy for all Europeans” package. EUSTAFOR, together with the Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF) and European Farmers and European Agri-Cooperatives (Copa & Cogeca), continues working on a position paper.
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Forests & climate change very high on the EU Policy agenda - Stay up-to-date
Currently the topic of “forestry and climate change” is very high on the EU policy agenda. Consequently numerous meetings and events are taking place. To stay up-to-date, consult the EUSTAFOR intranet and twitter and contact the Executive Office for more information.
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EUSTAFOR contributes to the ongoing policy debate on the role of forests in EU Climate policy post-2020 – 2nd position paper released
EUSTAFOR published a second position paper (PRESS RELEASE) in which it explains the views of state forests on the LULUCF and ESR proposals. The paper that was published on 20 February 2017 was elaborated by EUSTAFOR’s Working Group on Climate Change.
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Joint working session of Brussels-based stakeholders on the LULUCF proposal
EUSTAFOR, CEPF and Copa & Cogeca organized a joint working session on LULUCF, with presentations from Simon Kay (European Commission, DG CLIMA) and Professor Gert-Jan Nabuurs (Wageningen University, Netherlands) to discuss the impact of the LULUCF proposal and the role of forest management and forest products in the EU climate policy post-2020.
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Event “Forest & Climate” at the European Parliament
Aigar Kallas (CEO of RMK, Estonia, member of EUSTAFOR) shared the experiences of Estonian state forests in the context of climate change at the “Forests & Climate” event hosted by MEP Elisabeth Köstinger in the EU Parliament on 24 January 2017. At the event, which took place within the framework of the EP intergroup on “Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Sustainable Development” Mr. Kallas provided concrete figures on sustainable forest management in Estonia and its contribution to climate change mitigation. He emphasized that “forest management is based on long-term perspectives and the growing cycle of forests exceeds the timeline of climate policy”.
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Green Growth Group Officials’ Meeting
State forest perspectives were presented by Salvatore Martire (EUSTAFOR Exectuive Office) at the Green Growth Group Officials’ Meeting on 10 February 2017 in Brussels. The meeting focused on the LULUCF dossier, its influence on forestry and its contextualization within the EU Climate and Energy policy. Contrasting views clearly emerged.
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LULUCF Public Hearing
The Public Hearing on “Meeting the EU’s 2030 emission reduction targets: the role of the land use and forestry sectors (LULUCF)” at the EU Parliament Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety meeting on 30 January 2017
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Other key events at Parliament related to Climate change
- On 7 February 2017 – “Land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) – Logic or lunacy?” - Hosted by MEP Luke Ming Flanagan (Member of the AGRI Committee) (more information)
- On 8 February 2017 – “Agriculture and Forestry debating the Effort Sharing and the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry Regulations” - Hosted by MEP Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy and supported by Copa & Cogeca (more information).
- On 8 March 2017 – “Forests and Climate Integrity in LULUCF: Making Sure All Emissions Count” – Hosted by MEP Paul Brennen and MEP Sirpa Pietikäinen (more information)
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JOINT LETTER - Bern Convention – Draft Code of Conduct for Planted Forest and Invasive Alien Trees
The Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF), the European Farmers and European Agri- Cooperatives (COPA and COGECA) and the European State Forest Association (EUSTAFOR) have signed a joint letter to the Council of Europe and the main author of the "Code of Conduct for Planted Forest and…
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Forestry and the need for sectorial education on the European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina – KUPRES
The KUPRES 2017 Conference was organized by ŠGD Hercegbosanske šume and the Croatian Wood Cluster on 9-10 February 2017, in Kupres, Bosnia & Herzegovina. EUSTAFOR’s Executive Director, Piotr Borkowski, gave an opening address as well as a full presentation on the relevance of the EU Energy Winter Package to European forests.
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The Role of the Bioeconomy in the Circular Economy
On 12 January 2017, MEP Miapetra Kumpula-Natri and MEP Miriam Dalli co-chaired a lunch meeting at the European Parliament on “The Role of Bioeconomy in the Circular Economy.” The event was a good opportunity to emphasize to key stakeholders and policymakers the importance of European forestry and the role of state forests in moving towards a sustainable bioeconomy.
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Experts wanted for EIP-AGRI Focus Groups - deadline 23 March 2017
The European Commission is launching a call for experts such as farmers, foresters, advisers, scientists and other relevant actors for two new EIP-AGRI Focus Groups. The Focus Groups will start working in June 2017 and are expected to present their results and recommendations within 12 months. Focus Group themes: 24: New forest practices and tools for adaptation and mitigation of climate change
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40th FTP Advisory Committee: Bioeconomy Strategy and other priorities for the year ahead
In its capacity as a shareholder, EUSTAFOR follows the work done by FTP. During the latest FTP Advisory Committee, the participants followed up on important topics such as developments in relation to the Bioeconomy Strategy and up coming EU Presidencies.
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Consultation on modernizing and simplifying the CAP – deadline 2 May 2017
As part of its working program for 2017, the European Commission has launched a consultation on “modernizing and simplifying the common agricultural policy (CAP)” in order to maximize its contribution to the Commission's ten priorities and to the Sustainable Development Goals. The consultation questionnaire aims to contribute to the EU Commission’s impact assessment. The results will be published and communicated at a public conference in July 2017.
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The Contribution of Alpine Regions to the EU Forest Strategy
On 9 February 2017, the Representation of the European Region Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino hosted a conference on "The Contribution of Alpine Regions to the EU Forest Strategy: Sustainable Management and Financing Instruments." The purpose of the event was to present the state of implementation of the New EU Forest Strategy and the future priorities of the Commission ahead of the 2018 mid-term review of its strategy.
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ERANET calls for collaborative research projects
A number of ERANET calls for collaborative research projects have just been launched, including: CORE Organic (Sustainable Growth of the Organic Sector), ERA CoBioTech (biotechnologies), SUSFOOD2 (Sustainable Food Production and Consumption), FACCE SURPLUS (Sustainable Intensification of Biomass Production; see also useful partnering tool), and other agricultural, forestry and food issues.
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EU Ecolabel criteria for wood-, cork- and bamboo-based floor coverings
The EU Commission has published on the official EU Journal the Decision (EU) 2017/176 establishing EU Ecolabel criteria for wood-, cork- and bamboo-based floor coverings (notified under document C(2017) 303). The new criteria require that any virgin wood, cork, bamboo and rattan in the finished products originates from certified sustainably managed forests.
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Illegal logging continues to thrive worldwide and proliferate in domestic markets
This report entitled "Illegal Logging and Related Timber Trade – Dimensions, Drivers, Impacts and Responses" presents the results of the fifth global scientific assessment undertaken by the GFEP initiative. The report set out to gain deeper understanding of the meaning of illegal logging and related timber trade, its scale, drivers and consequences.
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Brexit and the European Union: General Institutional and Legal Considerations
A new study was requested by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament. It examines the political and institutional steps taken, or to be taken, by both the UK and the EU in the context of the Brexit referendum vote, and into how matters may evolve over the coming months and years from a legal and institutional perspective.
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Evidence linking community forest right and improved forest condition inconclusive
There is an assumption that there is a correlation between the devolution of forest governance and improved forest condition. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was interested in testing that hypothesis to assess its impact on global climate change mitigation and adaptation. To that end, a group of researchers at Michigan State University was tasked with reviewing, summarizing and commenting on the empirical evidence supporting that conclusion. In their review of the literature, they found the assumption deserves, at best, a “maybe.”
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STATE FOREST CONFERENCE IN ROMANIA |
13-14.06.2017 |
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EUSTAFOR General Assembly |
20-21.03.2017 |
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The Value of Wood - Forum |
21.03.2017 |
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ONF Forest Fires Workshop |
25-27.04.2017 |
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Circular and Bioeconomy Stakeholder Workshop |
30-31.03.2017 |
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EU STRATEGY ON ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP |
05.04.2017 |
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[PRESS RELEASE] EUSTAFOR second Position paper on Forests and Climate |
20.02.2017 |
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EUSTAFOR presentation at Kupres 2017 - EU Energy Winter Package and Future of Forest Biomass |
11.02.2017 |
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EUSTAFOR’s Address at the Opening of Kupres 2017 Conference |
11.02.2017 |
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EUSTAFOR Presentation at Green Growth Group meeting - State Forests and Climate Policy |
11.02.2017 |
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[PRESS RELEASE - EUSTAFOR & CEPF] Forest Management is solution to climate change |
25.01.2017 |
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European State Forest Association aisbl
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European Forestry House
Rue du Luxembourg 66
1000 Brussels
Belgium
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