2007

European state forest managers are active in EU renewable energy discussions and see challenges with regards to wood mobilization and collaboration with private forest owners.

Brussels, 21^st of March 2007. Members of the European State Forest Association met in the brand new European Forestry House for their second general assembly. On the agenda were organizational matters, the election of EUSTAFOR’s new chair and an examination of EU strategies on renewable energy.

Renewable energy policy, having a big impact on the forestry sector, was the key topic of EUSTAFOR’s general assembly. In order to have a common understanding and the right focus on this issue, the market situation and strategic options were discussed by members and invited speakers. EU representatives from DG ENTER and DG AGRI highlight the union strategy and forthcoming legal initiatives. Representatives from Sveaskog AB (Sweden) and ÖBf AG (Austria) shared their experiences in the field of bio-energy business.

At the General Assembly Pierre-Oliver Drege (Office National des Forets, France) was elected as the chairman and Georg Erlacher (Österreichische Bundesforste AG, Austria) as vice-chairman of EUSTAFOR. The other members of the Executive Committee are Tim Crowley (Coillte Teoranta, Irland), Hannu Jokinen (Metsähallitus, Finland), Klaus Merker (Niedersächsiche Landesforsten, Germany/Lower-Saxony), Roberts Stripnieks (Latvijas valsts mezi, Latvia) and Tomasz Wojcik (Lasy Panstwowe, Poland).

According to Mr Drege, new chair of EUSTAFOR, the current focus of the association’s activities is bio-energy, biomass mobilization and having forestry on the scheme of emission trade. Mr Drege said: “EUSTAFOR strongly reaffirms its commitment to the objective of sustainable development and in this respect welcomes the Commission’s “Energy Package” and the action plan "Energy Policy for Europe" adopted by the Council on the 8-9 March 2007.  We believe that the potential of the forestry sector in terms of bio-energy production has not been fully realized and therefore we should be active on promoting networking, research and information exchange in that field”.

Vice-president of EUSTAFOR Georg Erlacher recognized the sector’s key challenges:” The mobilization of wood is the main issue for all counterparts. This is not just the question of private forest owners and we invite all forest owners, the governments as well as forest-based industry to co-operate in a wider manner and come out with proper measures to improve the forest infrastructure, modernize the harvesting technologies as well as to develop competitive transportation schemes.

General Assembly adopted the EUSTAFOR’s position statement on bioenergy.

The members of EUSTAFOR, the European State Forest Association, are European state forest management organizations which are responsible for sustainable management of over 45 million hectares of public forest land, harvesting annually ca 110 million m³ of wood and providing employment for over 111,300 employees. There are currently 25 members in EUSTAFOR.

For further information:

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EUSTAFOR

Erik Kosenkranius, executive director

Phone: +3249570 4559

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