As a contribution to the European Forest Sector Outlook Study (EFSOS II), the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) prepared an assessment of the competitiveness of the European forest sector.
The assessment notes the positive impact of global economic growth on the forest sector, but suggests that the European forest sector won't benefit from expanding regional markets to the same extent as other regions.
December 2014: As a contribution to the European Forest Sector Outlook Study (EFSOS II), the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) prepared an assessment of the competitiveness of the European forest sector. The assessment notes the positive impact of global economic growth on the forest sector, but suggests that the European forest sector will not benefit from expanding regional markets to the same extent as other regions.
The assessment reviews historical data and presents scenarios for the period 2010-2030. The scenarios suggest that lower economic growth in the European region may limit innovation and investment in the forest sector, thereby limiting competitiveness. The scenarios do not consider how individual companies will adjust to changing market conditions that would likely impact overall competitiveness.
With regard to wood fuel, the assessment notes that a shift towards renewable energy may improve competitiveness over the long term as long as adequate attention is paid to the policy framework and technical developments. [Publication: Competitiveness of the European Forest Sector – A contribution to EFSOS II]