European ECO-Forum Delegation Joint Statement on
Forest Biological Diversity
2nd Intergovernmental Conference “Biodiversity in Europe”,
Budapest, 25 February 2002
NGOs participating at the Second Intergovernmental Conference
"Biodiversity in Europe" urge the European countries to send
a firm message to the COP 6 of the CBD in April 2002 in The Hague to adopt
a strong, action-oriented work programme on forests, as proposed by the
SBSTTA 7.
Implementation of this program should focus on the establishment
of a system of sustainable forest management in the framework of the ecosystem
approach applying the precautionary principle. This includes as an integral
part the conservation of environmentally significant forests, in particularly
intact ancient and old growth forests.
Civil Society Participation:
- Public participation in decision making on the use of forests and
relevant public access to information regarding forests should be provided.
- There should be a strong control over the implementation on both the
international and regional level of the national work forest programs.
NGOs should be involved in the assessment, monitoring and reporting
of European countries.
- Analyze and improve national forest programmes and national biodiversity
strategies, action plans and programs regarding forest biodiversity
and their mutual integration, and integration into all sectors.
We believe that the following elements of the proposed work
programme should become the priority for the European governments:
Promote sustainable use of forest biodiversity:
- Develop clear and measurable criteria of sustainable forest management,
which are accepted and implemented by all stakeholders.
- Implement voluntary third party credible certification schemes that
take into consideration relevant forest biodiversity criteria and that
would be audited, taking into consideration indigenous and local community
rights and interests.
- Ensure that national and international forest industries adopt and
implement ecological policies at least in a stepwise approach.
Combat illegal logging:
- Establish transparency of international timber trade to combat illegal
logging, with the implementation of tracking and chain-of-custody systems.
Protected areas:
- Ensure an adequate and effective protected forest area network.
- Ensure effective law enforcement and management of protected areas.
Regional implementation:
- Environment for Europe/PEBLDS should be the main tool for implementation
of the national forest programmes of the CBD, which should be done in
cooperation with MCPFE.
- An expert working group on forest biodiversity should be established
under the bureau of the PEBLDS.
- Conservation of intact, ancient and old growth forests should be the
urgent and immediate priority in Europe.
- The system of forest-protected areas should be part of the Pan-European
Ecological Network.
- A common Pan-European standard for biodiversity survey in forests
should be developed.
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