Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe: Balanced treatment for all use(r)s   

Friday, 23 November 2007

CEI-Bois and EFBWW support the findings of the 5th Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe

At the 5th Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe, held in Warsaw on 5 and 6 November 2007,

 the signatory countries, including the European Commission, signed the Warsaw Declaration and, more important for

 the woodworking sector, the Warsaw Resolution 1 on "Forests, Wood and Energy".

The European Confederation of Woodworking Industries, CEI-Bois, and the European Federation of Building and

 Woodworkers, EFBWW, fully support the content of this declaration and resolution. They welcome in particular that,

 in these documents, the signatory countries recognise the significance of the European forestry and forest-based

 industries, the importance of maintaining their long-term economic viability and competitiveness, and the fact that

 forests provide raw material for the forest-based sector as well as for energy.

The latter is considered most important by Europe's social partners in the woodworking sector, as the sector's

future development can only be assured through a sustained and increased supply of raw material, a supply that had

 come under strong pressure due to higher demand from the energy sector required to use a higher level of renewable

 energy sources (biomass, wood, ...).

They hope, therefore, that the MCPFE declaration will lead to a more balanced approach in all signatory countries.

Furthermore, CEI-Bois and EFBWW welcome the attention drawn to avoiding undue distortion of competition between

different end uses, to the need of respecting principles of sustainable forest management and improved and more

comprehensive information on wood resources and wood consumption as a basis for better informed policy making and

strategy setting.

The organisations commit to support the work of the 6th MCPFE as much as possible in the years to come and, more

in particular, activities within the context of the "Pan-European Forest Week 2008" from 20 to 24 October 2008.