Countries - forest facts by country

Forestry policies, institutions and programmes

Institutions
Forests are the responsibility of the Department of Forests within the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment. The ministry is responsible for the rational management and sustainable use of natural resources as well as the protection of the island¿s environment.

The Council of Ministers has the overall responsibility for the formulation of environmental policy. It also includes the Council for the Protection of the Environment; the Environment Committee, which deals with the formulation and determination of environmental policy objectives; and the Environment Service, which coordinates government programmes for the protection of the environment, oversees environmental impact assessment of projects, advises on environmental policy and is mandated to ensure its implementation.

The Cyprus Forestry College is a government institution within the Department of Forests of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment. It was established in 1951 to meet the increasing needs of Cyprus, the Near East and other interested countries for the training of supervisory (subprofessional) staff in the general principles of forestry practices.

Policies
Cyprus has endorsed the principles of sustainable development and has undertaken a process to integrate environmental considerations in its economic and social development policy. In this process, the country is guided by the principles adopted at the United Nations Conference for Environment and Development and the European Union¿s respective policies. Cyprus has ratified the Convention for the Conservation of the European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Montreal Protocol on the Protection of the Ozone Layer, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The country¿s Action Plan for the Protection of the Environment deals with issues such as fiscal instruments, information, research and participation and covers such subjects as general environmental policy, biotechnology and protection of nature and wildlife, among others. A draft bill for the protection of the environment covers the principles to guide all environment-related or specific legislation, including the protection of flora, fauna, ecosystems and landscapes and the establishment and management of protected areas.

Last updated: May 2002