21 October 2015
State of Europe’s Forests Report Indicates Significant Progress
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Launched on the occasion of the seventh FOREST EUROPE Ministerial Conference, held from 20-21 October 2015 in Madrid, Spain, the 'State of Europe's Forests 2015' report shows expansion of Europe's forest area and progress on sustainable forest management.

Fourth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Legally-Binding Agreement on Forests in Europe (INC-Forests4)21 October 2015: Launched on the occasion of the seventh FOREST EUROPE Ministerial Conference, held from 20-21 October 2015 in Madrid, Spain, the ‘State of Europe’s Forests 2015’ report shows expansion of Europe’s forest area and progress on sustainable forest management.

By providing detailed information about the current status of European forests and the associated trends over the last two and a half decades, the State of Europe’s Forests report aims to stimulate debate on the role of forests in society and the implementation of sustainable forest management in the region. It also seeks to provide policy-makers with evidence-based information that can be used as a solid basis for future political commitments on forests and other forest-related issues in Europe.

The 2015 report shows that forest area in Europe keeps increasing, offering great opportunities for mitigating climate change as well as for the development of the forest sector and a transition to a green economy. At the same time, there are an increasing number of countries with improved national policy instruments for sustainable forest management. The number of countries in Europe with a formal National Forest Programme process has almost tripled since 2007, and a forest policy document exists in practically all FOREST EUROPE countries. In addition, over 70% of forests in Europe have a management plan, which means that an area of over 155 million hectares in the European region is covered by forests under management plans or their equivalents.

In addition, the increasing awareness of the importance of forests to mitigate and adapt to climate change is highly reflected in forest policies at the national level. During recent years, many European countries have revised their policy objectives by putting stronger emphasis on climate change and most countries in Europe have established specialized entities responsible for implementing regulations, projects and programmes on climate change, renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The report is divided into two parts. The first one, covering policies, institutions and instruments for sustainable forest management, provides general information on forest governance in European countries. The second part provides information on the current status and changes in European forests and the progress achieved in sustainable forest management on the basis of 35 quantitative indicators. The analysis of policy responses, including institutions and relevant instruments, is based on 12 qualitative indicators. The second part is structured along the six criteria for sustainable forest management, including: maintenance and appropriate enhancement of forest resources and their contribution to global carbon cycles; maintenance of forest ecosystem health and vitality; maintenance and encouragement of productive functions of forests; maintenance, conservation and appropriate enhancement of biological diversity in forest ecosystems; maintenance and appropriate enhancement of protective functions in forest management, notably soil and water; and maintenance of other socio-economic functions and conditions.

The State of Europe’s Forests 2015 report has been coordinated and compiled by FOREST EUROPE’s Liaison Unit Madrid, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the European Forest Institute, the European Commission Joint Research Centre and the University of Hamburg. [FOREST EUROPE Press Release] [Publication: State of Europe’s Forests 2015 Report] [Summary for Policy-makers] [IISD RS Coverage of FOREST EUROPE Ministerial Conference]


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