JOINT SESSION

Geneva, Switzerland, 5 - 9 October 2004

FAO FORESTRY ACTIVITIES IN THE REGION

(Item 7 of the Provisional Agenda)

Note by the secretariat

This document presents FAO activities in Europe for the information of the joint session. Delegations are invited to take note of the activities and comment on them. With regard to the two subsidiary bodies of the EFC, Silva Mediterranea and the Working Party on the Management of Mountain Watersheds, delegations are invited to review and approve their reports, and to provide guidance for their future activities. This document does not cover activities carried out under the integrated UNECE/FAO Programme of Work, as these activities are fully reviewed under other items of the joint session agenda.

Wildland Fire Management

1. FAO has increased its activities related to forest fire management, providing information, advice and technical assistance to countries, including data collection and dissemination, preparation of guidelines, fire terminology, and status reports. In particular, the Organization is helping several countries, including Bulgaria and Croatia, to develop community-based fire management activities. FAO also is participating in the Working Group on Wildland Fire of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the implementation of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and is a founding member of the FAO/Economic Commission for Europe/International Labour Organization Team of Specialists on Forest Fire. In addition, the Organization is a member of the International Liaison Committee on fire that is preparing the 4th International Wildland Conference and Exhibition in Spain in 2007.

2. The Working Group on Wildland Fire of the Inter-Agency Task Force for Disaster Reduction, of the ISDR, together with GFMC and FAO, launched 11 regional wildland fire networks that provide technical support and enhance forest management capabilities in participating countries; support the exchange and dissemination of information; inform countries about gaps in legislation, policy and planning; and increase fire awareness and education.

3. The FAO/ECE/ILO Conference on Forest Fire Management and International Cooperation in Fire Emergencies in the Eastern Mediterranean, Balkans and Adjoining Regions of the Near East and Central Asia took place in Antalya (Turkey) in April 2004. The Conference issued the Antalya Declaration which recommends a plan of action that, among other items:

• encourages governments to develop or strengthen activities in a number of areas

• promotes collaborative efforts and procedures

• seeks arrangements to support joint projects, information collection and dissemination

4. FAO helped to organize the International Wildland Fire Summit and the 3^rd International Wildland Fire Conference and Exhibition in Sydney Australia in October 2003. At that time, participants from 34 countries and 10 international organizations reached consensus on a template for developing international agreements to combat forest fires based on those prepared by FAO.

Forest Resources Assessment - 2005 update

5. The next global forest resources assessment is scheduled for 2005 as an update of FRA 2000. In line with recommendations of the Kotka IV meeting in July 2002 and the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO) in March 2003, FRA 2005 will be a broad assessment of forest resources, their functions and benefits. Its framework will be guided by the thematic areas of sustainable forest management as defined by the nine regional processes on criteria and indicators.

6. In Europe, close links are maintained with the Secretariat of the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE Liaison Unit Warsaw). Five European forest assessment specialists are members of the FRA Advisory Group, established in 2002, to help develop future global assessments. The FRA 2005 update will be based on country reports submitted by officially nominated national correspondents. In November 2003, FAO organized a training session in Rome for these experts, in collaboration with the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO). More than 100 countries were represented, including 27 members of the European Forestry Commission. Many of the correspondents from Europe are also members of the UNECE Team of Specialists on Forest Resources Assessment and FAO was closely involved in preparations for the meeting of this group in September 2004. Among other items, the implementation of FRA 2005 within the UNECE countries was reviewed. Capacity building will continue to be at the core of the FRA programme, with a focus on the Eastern and Southern European and CIS countries. Eight sub-regional workshops, including two in Europe, one for Russian speaking correspondents and one for south-eastern European countries, are planned for 2004 to review draft reports for FRA 2005.

Capacity building in countries with economies in transition

7. The transition process in Eastern European countries has led to challenges in Eastern Europe. Economic potentials are not yet used sufficiently. At the same time there are concerns about the contribution of the forest sector to sustainable development in the region, particularly with regard to social and environmental benefits. In view of this, FOA has enlarged its resources to assist CEEC and CIS (in full). Under an FAO Forestry Programme on Eastern Europe (FPEE) it is intended to identify broad directions for FAO and to improve coordination. The draft was discussed during a meeting with various stakeholders and policy experts in Budapest in June 2004.

8. Since the last session of EFC, FAO has undertaken projects to help countries develop, implement, and strengthen their forestry policies, plans, strategies and institutions, including in Czech Republic, Hungary, and Latvia. Technical assistance was also provided to Albania to enhance institutional capacity, improve forest management, reduce forest degradation, strengthen community forestry, promote nature conservation, and establish capacity for managing, monitoring and assessing the environment.

9. The FAO Forestry Department organized, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic and the "Forest of the Czech Republic", a state enterprise, a Forestry Policy Workshop with the theme "Trends in Forest Use and Conservation - Policy Options for Action from 21 to 26 March 2004 in Turnov - Hrubá Skála (Czech Republic). The purpose of the workshop was to review current and emerging issues facing the development of the forestry sector in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), discuss policy implications and identify practical policy options for action.

10. In September 2004, FAO, the World Conservation Union (IUCN), and the Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF) organized a workshop in Zamárdi (Hungary) as a follow up to the one held in Zidlochovice (Czech Republic) in 2002 to assist private and community forest owners in selected Central and Eastern European countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia). The goals

of this latest workshop were for private forest owners to exchange experiences with regard to assistance provided; discuss opportunities for expanding assistance; and to develop a plan of action. IUCN made a presentation on biodiversity issues in private forests and on communicating conservation to private owners.

11. An extra-budgetary project was launched, which analyses similarities and common approaches in European national forest legislation. Three legal issues: (1) reforestation obligations (2) public access to forests and (3) public use of non-wood forest products have been examined in 23 European countries. The outcomes are published and provide a useful tool for further harmonisation of forest policy approaches in the region.

12. FAO has developed strong cooperation with the Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF). The Liaison Office for Central and Eastern Europe will be hosted in SEUR as from August 2004. The Joint session of FAO and CEPF (combined with the General Assembly of CEPF) al is planed for beginning of November in order to discuss further ways on how to assist private and community forest owners in central and Eastern Europe.

FAO Technical Cooperation Programme in Europe

13. Founded in 1976, the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) is funded by resources of the FAO Regular Programme to enable FAO to respond to the urgent needs of member countries for technical assistance in agriculture, fisheries and forestry. Approximately 15% of the FAO budget is allocated to TCP.

14. In the late 1990s, more than 10% of TCP resources were allocated to projects in Europe. This figure is declining and will decline more rapidly in the future because new EU members will not be eligible for projects.

15. Operational TCP projects in 2003-04 in Europe for which the FAO Forestry Department is the “lead technical unit” include:

• Sustainable mountain development in Armenia (TCP/ARM/3001)

• Strengthening capacity for forest fire prevention in Bulgaria (TCP/BUL/2902)

• Capacity building in the forestry sector in the Czech Republic (TCP/CEH/2901)

• Support to innovative forest management schemes in Hungary (TCP/HUN/3003)

• Strategic planning in Latvia (TCP/LAT/2901)

• Sustainable mountain development in Poland (TCP/POL/3002)

• Sustainable forest management and rural development in Romania (TCP/ROM/2902)

• Utilization of bioenergy to promote sustainable forest management in Slovenia (TCP/SVN/2901)

• Preparation of a national forest programme Phase II for Turkey (TCP/TUR/2902)

• Capacity building for the national forest programme of Serbia and Montenegro (TCP/YUG/2902)

• Protection of Spruce stands, Slovakia (TCP/SLO/0065)

Environmentally Sound Forest Harvesting Systems

16. FAO assisted in the Kysuce region, Slovakia, where forest management in spruce stands on sensitive Flysch type soil. This includes support for a comprehensive system of pest control measures by forest owners based on an integrated pest management strategy coupled with environmentally friendly technologies for the harvesting, processing and transport of trees in these fragile spruce stands (April 2001-March 2003, TCP/SLO/0065).

17 After July 2004 support will be given to the “Design and development of innovative forest management schemes” in Hungary (TCP/HUN/3003 (A) ) Among other outputs, an efficient, cost-effective harvesting technique meeting environmentally friendly forest harvesting requirements, will be identified and tested.

FAO / Government Cooperative Programme in Europe

18. Under the FAO/Government Cooperative Programme (GCP), donor countries establish a trust fund at FAO to support technical and policy projects through a partnership arrangement between FAO and recipient countries. Several GCP projects are operational in Europe, including:

• progress toward a market economy in the forest sector in Eastern European countries, supported by Sweden

• the forestry project in Albania, supported by Italy

• forest management in the Mediterranean region, supported by France

• training programmes in selected areas, supported by Czech Republic

19. European countries are partners with FAO to support work in developing countries and in countries with economies in transition either at the global level, in regions other than Europe, or in specific countries. Partnerships and European participants include:

• National Forest Programme Facility: European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom

• Mountain Partnership: Italy, Switzerland

• FAO / Netherlands Partnership Programme

• FAO / Norway Partnership Programme

• Forest Resources Assessment: Sweden, Finland

• Livelihood support and participatory processes: United Kingdom, Belgium

• Desertification and watershed management: Italy

• Sustainable forest management: Sweden, European Commission

• International forest processes: Finland, United Kingdom

• Forest products trade: Germany

• Forest fire management: Finland, Norway

• Support to EFSOS: Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, UK, Netherlands

• Support to sustainable wildlife management in Morocco: Czech Republic

• Governance: United Kingdom

Forests and Climate Change

20. During the past 2 years, FAO has cooperated with all Presidencies of the European Union to develop rules for the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol and carry out small-scale afforestation and reforestation projects. Among other activities, FAO

provided information to the European Commission’s Joint Research Center in ISPRA on harmonizing reporting of forest carbon stock to UNFCCC; supplied data and information on forests and climate change to the Commission and individual EU Member States (Germany, Ireland, Italy, Denmark) on request participated in a workshop for experts on sinks that EU organized specifically with regard to rules for the Clean Development Mechanism.

Subsidiary bodies reporting to the European Forestry Commission

21. The EFC is invited to review the activities of the two bodies which report to it, but are not included in the ECE/FAO integrated programme, and provide guidance for their activities, on the basis of the summary information set out below and the relevant reports quoted.

Silva Mediterranea

22. At its 18^th Session in Rome in April 2002, the AFWC/EFC/NEFC Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions Silva Mediterranea initiated several operational changes to increase efficiency, in response to recommendations arising from an external review.

23. Countries or a group of countries now guide inter-sessional activities, including those of three active working groups on a) forest fires (led by Spain); b) cork oak (led by Portugal); and c) land use and sustainable forest management (led by France). With regard to this third group, FAO and Blue Plan (a regional centre of the Mediterranean Action Plan – Barcelona Convention) have jointly implemented a project that:

• promotes the integration of sustainable forest management in land use planning;

• supports the preparation and dissemination of monographs featuring knowledge and

best practices for practitioners and managers of Mediterranean forests and woodlands;

• promotes education and training to improve technical capabilities of forest services;

• promotes criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management in the region; and,

• promotes the formulation of national forest programmes and the valuation of forest

goods and services, taking inter-sectoral linkages into consideration.

24. In its capacity as Secretariat, FAO established an inter-departmental group comprised of officers from across the Organization whose field of activity is related to priorities identified by the Committee. As requested, FRA 2005 will present data specifically for the Mediterranean region. In addition, several member countries are formulating their national forest plans with support from the National Forest Programme Facility. The Secretariat, with support from FAO and France, is assessing results of past activities of the Committee, beginning with the provenance and progeny trials of Mediterranean conifers (pines, firs, cypress). Outcomes of these tests are expected to help future afforestation and rehabilitation projects in member countries.

Working Party on the Management of Mountain Watersheds

25. The Working Party met in Krakow (Poland) in September 2004 and will submit a report of the discussions at this session (this report was not available at the time this document was prepared). Given its obvious links to the International Partnership for Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions that was launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, efforts will be made to explore collaboration in areas of mutual interest. Countries that are members of both bodies include Austria, France, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland.

26. The Working Party is also examining ways to work more closely with the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes which is organizing two seminars in the near future on the role of ecosystems, particularly forests, in water supply and related financial aspects.

Follow-up on Recommendations directed to FAO by the European Forestry Commission at its 31^st Session

Recommendation (numbers refer to the paragraph number in the report of the 31st session of the EFC)	Action Taken
12. The Commission recommended that the work on harmonizing definitions should continue and be brought to the attention of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF).	FAO reported to the UNFF on the work on harmonizing definitions, including the reports on the outcomes of the first two global meetings. A third meeting is being planned for later in 2004.
14. The Commission requested that the Joint FAO/ECE Working Party on Forest Economics and Statistics consider at its next session in 2003 whether more action is needed to improve cooperation among agencies at the regional level in information collection.	The Working Party on Forest Economics and Statistics considered ways to improve cooperation among agencies in collecting information.
20. The Commission welcomed the strong support being provided by FAO to the international forest dialogue at the global and regional levels. In particular, it recommended that: FAO continue and strengthen its leading role in the CPF, and in the activities in support of UNFF. FAO should contribute substantively to the monitoring, assessment and reporting on sustainable forest management and through the CPF facilitate interagency action to streamline and reduce the burden of countries reporting to international forest-related processes. FAO continue, especially through the FAO/ECE integrated programme, its support to the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE) and participate actively in the formulation and implementation of the proposed MCPFE programme of work.	FAO continues to play an active role in the international forest dialogue. FAO continues to chair the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF). FAO chairs and has prepared most of the staff work for the CPF Task Force on Streamlining Forest-Related Reporting. FAO and ECE continue to support the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe.
24. The Commission recommended that information should be provided on the National Forest Programme Facility to the FAO Committee on Forestry and the United Nations Forum on Forests. COFO should encourage collaboration among the Facility and developing countries. FAO should show at the next session of UNFF the array of regional and national progress being made in using national forest programmes as a means to implement the IPF/IFF proposals for action.	FAO has reported both to COFO and to UNFF on the purpose, method of operation, and progress to date by the National Forest Programme Facility.
26. With regard to the Working Party on Management of Mountain Watersheds, the Commission recommended to FAO to work out modalities of cooperation on watershed management between the Working Party, the European Observatory of Mountain Forests (EOMF) and other partners. The Working Party should report to the Commission at its next session.	FAO has played an active role in the establishment of a global Mountain Partnership, serving as the secretariat. For specific information about the Working Party on Management of Mountain Watersheds, refer to the report of the Working Party that will be discussed by the EFC under a separate agenda item.