FOURTH MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON THE PROTECTION OF FORESTS IN EUROPE, VIENNA 28 – 30 APRIL 2003 Everyone benefits from the forest

Bern, 24.04.2003 - Forests protect us against natural dangers, offer a sanctuary, store carbon, provide renewable raw materials, filter drinking water and create jobs. These benefits are becoming more valuable by the minute for the wellbeing of society. They will, however, only be compensated for in part, and forestry commodities face competition from non-renewable products. Switzerland is advocating the long-term protection of all forestry products and services at the Fourth Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe. To this end, Switzerland is renewing its binding commitment to the sustainable development of forests and is calling for the essential cooperation of other political and economic sectors.

The first Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe was held in 1990 and the process has become the most important forum for forestry policy throughout Europe. Top of the list of priorities of the three conferences held so far has been, along with the protection of forests, the promotion of the sustainable development of forests in Europe (see box). The fourth ministerial conference on forests, which is being held from 28 to 30 April in Vienna, will pursue these goals and will tackle current and new challenges in the highly controversial forestry sector.

On the one hand, the benefits of forests to society are gaining in importance:

The forest provides a habitat for animals and plants of all kinds, room for recreation, protection from falling rocks and avalanches, timber for building and fuel, and income and jobs
a considerable amount of pure drinking water comes from forests and when there is flooding, forests act as a reservoir for the water
forests and wood store carbon, thereby helping to stabilise the climate and providing the only renewable raw material in Switzerland.

On the other hand, forestry enterprises in Switzerland are coming under pressure:

The increasing demands made on forests must be contrasted with falling wood prices, rising labour costs, reduced subsidies, and competition due to cheap, non-renewable products. In addition, wood stocks are constantly on the increase: at the moment there is roughly double the amount of wood growing per year as is harvested.
The economic situation of forestry in Switzerland and hence the long-term guarantee of many forest products and services is a challenge. Forestry enterprises may, however, improve their economic situation through rationalisation and structural improvements. These efforts will not, however, be sufficient to reverse the trend.

Cooperation with other economic and political sectors

If the forestry sector is to be able to ensure the sustainable development of forests over the long term, it clearly needs synergies with other economic and political sectors: institutional investors, for example, with their commitment to multi-storey timber houses, help to reduce wood supplies and store carbon (Factsheet 1; pdf 15kB, in German). This is why, when preparing for the Fourth Ministerial Conference, Switzerland has included the cross-sectorial aspect in the Vienna Declaration and Resolutions to be signed (Factsheet 2; pdf 20kB, in German). This approach has also been incorporated into the title of the Declaration (common benefits – shared responsibilities).

Switzerland's Forestry Programme

The Vienna Declaration and Resolutions are being implemented again in Switzerland, inter alia, under Switzerland's Forestry Programme (WAP). Cooperation between the forestry and the other political and economic sectors is being addressed at the moment. WAP is a political action programme which, in a participatory and cross-sectorial process up to the end of 2003, is drafting and defining the Confederation's specific goals, strategies and measures for the next ten to fifteen years. WAP is intended to identify and take account of the economic, ecological and social demands on the forest. The main aim is to ensure a sustainable development of forests, hence the creation of advantageous general conditions for an efficient forestry and wood industry.

Status of the sustainable development of forests in Europe and Switzerland

Ministers attending the Second Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe held in Helsinki in 1993 agreed for the first time on a definition for the sustainable development of forests. The definition is as follows:

"Sustainable management means the stewardship and use of forests and forest lands in a way, and at a rate that maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacities, vitality and their potential to fulfil, now and in the future, relevant ecological, economic and social functions at local, national and global levels, and that does not cause damage to other ecosystems."

Six sustainability criteria valid across Europe were created on the basis of this definition. They are applied in Switzerland and form the basis of Switzerland's current forestry programme (WAP).

Condition of Europe's forests receives a positive evaluation

With the Ministerial Conference on Forests in Vienna in mind, a report was written on the sustainable development of the forests in Europe based on these criteria. The assessment of the forests in Europe turns out to be basically positive. In contrast to other regions of the world, the forest areas in Europe increased by around 1% between 1990 and 2000. Only 3% of Europe's forests are plantations. Virgin forests (25%) and protected forest areas (12%) are particularly important for the protection and conservation of biodiversity and the diversity of the landscape.

In all, 46% of Europe's land area is covered in forest. Europe's forests account for around one quarter of all forest areas worldwide.

Spotlight on the sustainability of Swiss forestry policy

In 1998, Switzerland was the first country to have the sustainability of Swiss forest policy systematically examined by internationally recognised experts according to sustainability criteria. The strong points highlighted by the experts were the strict forest conservation policy, the consistent and near-natural planting of forests and the means used for the conservation of the protective function of the forest. Points that could be improved on included the manageability of the forestry operations, the lack of regeneration in mountain forests and the shortage of designated forest reserves.