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Activity Report 2005 - 2009Activity Report 2005 - 2009 Piotr GrygierPiotr GrygierVViice Presidentce President

Multifunctional forest management and society mattersMultifunctional forest management and society matters

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According to the Article 7.7. of the UEF Constitution

„the Vice-Presidents shall assist the President and act for him/her in case of his/her absence or other hindrance.”

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2005Due to Presidency recommendations I have taken part in the Workshop on Competitive Forest Operations in Europe – 16 September, 2005 held in Krakow, Poland. Some conclusions: 1.The efforts of raising recognition of forestry contractors as important players in the wood supply chain are based on the premise that sustainable forestry needs a sustainable workforce. 2.The forestry workforce in most European countries consists of predominantly contractors and their employees, due to an ongoing shift from direct employment of labour in forestry to contracting services. In turn the contracting enterprises are small or even micro businesses, which are under severe market pressure. 3.Therefore a sustainable development of enterprises working in forest operations is a major challenge of the future, to ensure that a qualified and sustainable workforce will exist to serve the forestry related economies to their mutual goals of sustainable development.

2. Due to our records on Presidency meeting in Sweden “UEF will participate to the activities within: - Joint FAO/ECE/ILO Committee on Forest Technology, Management and Training (Piotr Grygier)” I have met Mr Christian SALVIGNOL, the Chairman of the Joint FAO/ECE/ILO Experts Network to implement SFM and get the following information.

Obviously you are welcome to the Joint FAO/ECE/ILO Experts Network. Networking and Partnerships are the key words of our activities. Networking helped to identify the needs and priorities of the framework of the mandate of the Joint Experts Network (the implementation of sustainable forest management, in particular relating to social, cultural and environmental aspects). Partnerships and funding helped to promote the work programme of the Network. In each country, national official experts play the role of “focal points”, disseminating information on the Joint Experts Network activities whilst requesting the forestry experts interested in the Network to register without an official nomination. So that, there are two ways to be an “expert”. Networking requires the participation of all the countries in order to be efficient. The Joint Experts Network concentrates on a very essential range of topics for all the countries (for instance, training, workforce, entrepreneurs, occupational safety and health, social dimension of forestry) so that we actually need the experts of all the countries. Welcome to the Joint FAO/ECE/ILO Experts Network. Just propose your ideas in order to share experiences : If two experts have any common objectives (with reference to our mandate), partnerships will follow. We could start with forestry training. The European training centres are interested with educational programmes funded by the European Commission. Check Eduforest website in order to learn more about work in progress.

1. On November 20th, 2006 the Polish State Forests Holding and the Ministry of Environment in Poland organized a conference on “Forestry on World and Europe Forum – processes and initiatives.” I was asked to have a presentation on UEF and during 20 minutes speech I had described our organization, its aims and fields of work.

2. I have taken part in Seminary and meeting organized by European Network of Forest Entrepreneurs on 4th December 2006 at Alsace – France. The topic was “Role of Forestry in European Rural Development Policy”.

ENFE hosted over 30 attendees from10 countries, among which were representatives

of CEETTAR the Europen Agricultural Contractors Association, a delegate from UEF, the European Foresters Association and colleagues from the regional forestry sector and the European Commission.

2006

Some conclusions from the meeting in France:

1.Not only new funding schemes for development of economies based on land use, but also the enhancement of partnership in rural value chains is a key element of the new political agenda. And it becomes clear that contractors as a productive link in these value chains are affected by EU policies. A challenge for small enterprises of course is to define their place in the complexity of the strategic policy schemes and to raise their recognition as part of the Forestry Wood Chain. 2.It was discussed that forestry and agriculture related services are not yet addressed in the EU policy documents, even if their importance is evident. 3.Thus, contractors are generally excluded from financial supporting schemes, even if their demand for support would be perfectly in line with the development goals.

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2007

The Conference theme: “Forests for Quality of Life” highlighted of contemporary challenges and decisions to assure that Europe’s forests continue to be managed sustainably and provide benefits to the best of their potential. The following documents were signed during the Conference by high level representatives of 38 European Countries and the European Community, and 2 more countries that signed these documents after the Conference.   •Warsaw Declaration •Warsaw Resolution 1: Forests, Wood and Energy •Warsaw Resolution 2: Forests and Water

Two Ministerial Statements were adopted by acclamation:•Ministerial Statement on Pan-European Forest Week 2008 •Ministerial Statement on Forest Fires

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Mutual statement of the organizations assigned to the Major Group “Social NGOs” to the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue at the Warsaw Conference, November 2007

ENFE European Network of Forest EntrepreneursBWI Building and Wood Workers’ International UEF Union of European ForestersPEFC Programme for the Endorsement of Forest

Certification Schemes

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Foresters, workers, contractors and certifiers are entrusted with the responsibility for creating Forests for Quality of Life so we will play our role as an essential bridge between the commitments and demands from society and industry for development. The European Network of Forest Entrepreneurs, the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers, the Union of European Foresters and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes affirm that these umbrella organisations together with their members and representative bodies will make every effort to support putting the commitments of the Signatories of the Warsaw Declaration and Resolutions into reality towards Forests for Quality of Life.

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2008The Expert Level Meeting of MCPFE and the UEF participation,

12–13 November 2008, Geneva, Switzerland

1. The MCPFE is in the process of developing “Pan-European Guidelines for Afforestation and Reforestation with a special focus on the provisions of the UNFCCC”. This task is being carried out in cooperation with the Environment for Europe process and its Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (PEBLDS). The drafting meeting on Pan-European afforestation and reforestation guidelines, was held on 16-17 September, 2008, Malahide, Ireland and the draft text was agreed. The draft was presented and discussed on the Expert Level Meeting in Geneva. 2. The next document presented on the ELM was “Draft Terms of Reference” of an open ended ad-hoc working group on sustainability criteria for forest biomass production, including bio energy. The aim of the working group is to analyze the applicability and adequacy of the existing MCPFE guidelines and tools for SFM, with a view to reveal needs for updating or revision.3. The ELM approved the report on Sustainable forest management in the Pan-European region - achievements, challenges and planned actions in relation to issues to be addressed at UNFF8. The report has been jointly prepared by MCPFE, UNECE/FAO, the European Forest Institute (EFI), and the EFE/PEBLDS in response to an invitation from the secretariat of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF). It presents a summary of Pan- European achievements, major developments, challenges and plans for future actions on sustainable forest management in relation to issues that will be addressed at the Eight Session of the UNFF, 20 April–1 May 2009.

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Thank you for your attention!