In 2003 1o new member states joined the EU. How did this affect forests, forestry and forest policy in Europe?

1. Forestry Development and
Biodiversity in the Enlarged
European Union
Aristotelis C. Papageorgiou
Garifallos Arabatzis
Stelios Tampakis
Democritus University of Thrace
Dept. of Forestry & Management of
Environment & Natural Resources

2. Presentation plan
• The evolution of the biodiversity concept
• The forest & environmental approach of BD
• The forest ecosystems of the enlarged EU
• Challenges and obstacles for BD in the EU
forest policies
• The role of the new EU members
21/03/2003 2

3. Nature protection & biodiversity
• The environmental movement started in the 50s and
60s – emphasis on the protection of wild
ecosystems and species.
• First approach: the maintenance of the existing
populations or ecosystems – absolute protection –
meeting aesthetic & spiritual targets – focused on
specific nature issues.
• Consideration of nature dynamics – ecology,
genetics, wildlife biology & applied sciences –
integration of policy, social, economic aspects.
21/03/2003 3

4. Biodiversity & Conservation
• Conservation Biology & Conservation Planning
developed in the 80s – a new concept was needed:
scientific, dynamic, inclusive, policy oriented –
Biodiversity
• Most official definition: CBD Rio 1992 – the main
environmental concept ever since
• The EU has signed, ratified and followed up the
CBD – EU Biodiversity Strategy (1998) – Birds and
Habitats Directives.
• BD became part of other EU policies (i.e. CAP).
21/03/2003 4

5. The biodiversity concept
• Biodiversity is not the # species / ha – includes all
the features ensuring the dynamic processes in an
ecosystem
• BD conservation: a) conservation of specific
elements, b) sustainable use of resources, c) equal
share of benefits to society.
• Main features:
– The complexity of BD levels
– The variation in interpretations of the concept
21/03/2003 5

6. 21/03/2003 6

7. 21/03/2003 7

8. Forest biodiversity
• Conservation of forests has gained a significant part
of conventions, treaties and action plans for
biodiversity conservation.
• forests are in many parts of the world the most
“wild” and complex terrestrial ecosystems and at the
same time the most impressive ones,
• forests are decreasing world-wide,
• forest science is the most developed, applied, on the
ground, nature management scientific discipline.
21/03/2003 8

9. Biodiversity & forestry
• The production of timber in a sustainable way was
considered enough to maintain other benefits.
• SFM includes three main parameters: economic,
environmental, social.
• BD was integrated in recent forest policy documents
in all levels.
• The forest perception: SFM for production, while
respecting BD and other externalities.
• The environment perception: SFM is a tool (among
others) to secure BD conservation.
21/03/2003 9

10. The forest perception
Biodiversity conservation as an externality of SFM
21/03/2003 10

11. The environment perception
SFM as a tool to achieve biodiversity conservation
21/03/2003 11

12. Linking the perceptions
• Environmental agencies consider BD as a priority in
all management activities
• Parties representing the forest sector prefer to see
the economic character of forestry as a priority.
• BD conservation and SFM are linked:
– Complexity of both concepts
– Long term character
• “Ecosystem approach” & “close to nature” forestry
• Tools, such as SFM certification, “criteria &
indicators”, National Forest Programmes
21/03/2003 12

13. Agreements containing measures for forest biodiversity
Level Origin of the Legally binding Non-legally binding instruments
instrument instruments
International Environment Ramsar Convention World Charter for Nature (1982)
(1972) Statement of Forest Principles
World Heritage (1992)
Convention (1972) Agenda 21, chapter 11 on
CITES (1973) Combating Deforestation (1992)
CBD (1993) IUCN Protected Area
Management Categories (1994)
Forest ITTA (1983, 1994)
European Environment EU Birds Directive The Pan-European Biological and
(1979) Landscape Diversity Strategy
EU Habitats Directive
(1992)
Forest Protocol on Mountain MCPFE H2 (1993) & L2 (1998)
Forests of the Alpine Work programme on the
Convention (1991) conservation and enhancement of
biological and landscape diversity
in forest ecosystems 1997-2000
(1997)
21/03/2003 13

14. EU becomes richer!
• Forest area of the EU increases by 18%
• Forest cover decreases slightly
• Timber production increases by 30%
• Paper & pulp production increases by 6%
• New member states have forests rich in biodiversity:
Mediterranean (i.e. Cyprus), boreal (Baltic
countries), mountainous forests (i.e. Czech & Slovak
Republics).
• Most forests are classified as “semi-natural”.
21/03/2003 14

15. Forestry in the new Member States
• Most have long forestry tradition.
• Emphasis is given in benefits for society.
• Most countries are timber producing.
• Biodiversity conservation is in many countries a
major pillar of forest policy.
• Central forest administration.
• Mostly state owned – changes since the 1990s.
• Economies in transition.
• Environmental problems mainly due to pollution.
21/03/2003 15

16. Forest BD agreements
CBD CBD MCPFE Ramsar WHC CITES
signed ratified
Cyprus 12/6/92 10/7/96    
Czech Republic 04/6/93 03/12/93    
Estonia 12/6/92 27/07/94    
Hungary 13/6/92 24/02/94    
Latvia 11/6/92 14/12/95    
Lithuania 11/6/92 01/02/96    
Malta 12/6/92 29/12/00    
Poland 05/6/92 18/01/96    
Slovak Republic 19/5/93 25/08/94    
Slovenia 13/6/92 09/07/96    
21/03/2003 16

17. Forest Cover EU 25
200000
New States
150000
EU 15
100000
50000
0
Source: FAO country profiles
21/03/2003 17

18. Forest Cover of the EU
100%
80%
60%
Other Land
40% Forest
20%
0%
New States EU 15 EU 25
Source: FAO country profiles
21/03/2003 18

19. Forest Production EU 25
350000
300000
250000
200000 New Members
150000 EU 15
100000
50000
0
Ro
In
W
Sa
W
W
du
oo
oo
oo
w
un
st
nw
d
d-
d
dw
ria
Re
Ba
Fu
oo
oo
lR
el
sid
se
d
d
ou
d
ue
nd
Pa
s
w
ne
oo
ls
d
Source: FAO country profiles
21/03/2003 19

20. Pulp & Paper EU 25
90000
80000
70000
New Members
60000
50000 EU 15
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
W
Re
Pa
O
th
oo
co
pe
er
d
ve
ra
F
Pu
re
nd
ib
d
lp
re
Pa
Pa
Pu
pe
pe
lp
rb
r
oa
rd
Source: FAO country profiles
21/03/2003 20

21. Expected trends for production
• Trade between EU & new members is today lower
than expected (distance, income) – trade is expected
to increase
• Demand and consumption is increasing – pressures
for higher production.
• Accessibility to markets will improve.
• Private bodies will press for participation and
changes in ownership.
• Short term perspective – short rotations.
21/03/2003 21

22. Expected trends for protection
• Demand for public goods will be increasing.
• Need for adaptability of forest ecosystems
(climate change, etc.).
• Further need for protection from natural
hazards (i.e. floods).
• Importance of biodiversity in/of forest
ecosystems will increase.
21/03/2003 22

23. Trends for forest biodiversity
• Liberalization in market mechanisms and the
minimized role of the state in forest management
will put pressure on biodiversity targets in forestry.
• The public & the international environmental scene
are interested in the maintenance of forest
biodiversity and the benefits deriving from it.
• The maintenance of BD in the forest is a
prerequisite for the maintenance of its functions.
• A need to secure the role of SFM in the EU from
negative side – effects of economy transition.
21/03/2003 23

24. The challenges for the EU
• To improve the liberalization of the market, without
risking the long term perspectives of forests.
• To introduce techniques, legislation and instruments
of the EU in the new members without losing their
long forestry tradition – keep variety within the EU.
• To modify the role of the state and keep its
controlling, supporting and coordinating function.
• To make best use of the public forests for the
society & to assist the viability of private owners,
securing the integrity of the forest ecosystems.
• To improve the cross sectoral dialogue in the EU.
21/03/2003 24

25. Forestry and biodiversity
21/03/2003 25

26. The role of the new EU members
• Bring their view in the EU and the international
forest policy scene.
• Promote the implementation of policy decisions on
the ground, by changing and re-shaping the existing
instruments.
• Support the dialogue between parties and create
national approaches for the linkage between BD
conservation and forestry.
• Work on capacity building, information exchange
and alignment of forest data within the EU.
21/03/2003 26