Four European forestry-based organizations including European Confederation of Woodworking Industries, European State Forest Assn., agree to share information, meet regularly to strengthen forest industry's position in EU policy-making

Allison Oesterle

BRUSSELS , October 12, 2012 (press release) – By signing a Memorandum of Understanding this week, the executive directors of four European associations – namely the Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF), the European State Forest Association (EUSTAFOR), the European Confederation of Woodworking Industries (CEI-Bois), and the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) - formally committed themselves to strengthen their communication and cooperation in the future.

The four organisations, representing the core of the European forest sector, have a long history of regular communication and frequent cooperation. Forestry plays a prominent role in the work of each association. The associations represent major stakeholders of the European forest resource-holding side (the forest owners) and the processing side (the forest-based industry) –embodying the key players of the entire European forest and timber value chain. All four organisations are also shareholders of the Forest-based Sector Technology Platform (FTP).

The purpose of this memorandum is to formally agree:

- to regularly meet, communicate and exchange information about forest and forest-based sectors relevant topics and policy developments at EU and pan-European level and the activities of each organisation.
- to observe risks and opportunities of non-forest and forest policies for the forest and forest-based sector at EU and pan-European level.
- to explore options of cooperation and common activities, in particular to strengthen and promote forest and forest-based sector positions within EU and pan-European policy processes and other related initiatives.

The common principles of the forest sector core group are:

- to promote the principles of Sustainable Forest Management, and facilitate its implementation at all levels.
- to promote the use of wood and resource efficiency.
- to promote the relevance of the forest and forest-based sector in rural development and a global green economy.

FTP – Forest-based Sector Technology Platform: www.forestplatform.org

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