New Forestry Strategy confirms sustainable forest management

The European Forestry Strategy of 1998 was replaced by a new and modern document in 2013 that reflects the needs of the sector, and in 2014 the Strategy went through several stages of adoption. European forests are rich in terms of biodiversity, but they are increasingly under pressure because of the demand for raw material and partly because of climate change. The adoption of the Strategy drew the attention of a large number of political decision-makers, industry and interest groups that lobby for better socio-economic and environmental conditions in forestry.

Forests and rural development

Forests cover 40 percent of Europe’s surface, they are key ecosystems as well as a source of wealth and jobs in rural areas, if they are managed properly. Sustainable forest management is a main pillar for rural development. The Strategy does not see the forest as an isolated entity, but as holistic link to other priority areas and policies, such as rural development, environmental protection, climate change and energy.

Primary wood processing

The European sawmill sector, despite the short-term situation caused by the bad weather in 2013, recorded a slight increase, and overseas markets are putting new dynamics into the industry. The main problem of all sawmill owners is the inability to achieve a regular supply of raw material. The sawmill sector is paying more and more attention to activities related to construction with wood. According to current forecasts of Euroconstruct, by 2017 a gradual recovery in the European construction sector is expected and it will have a
significant impact on the consumption of wood. The humber of building permits issued is growing in some countries, for example, in the UK, where in the second quarter of 2014 there was a 53 percent increase. Growth was also recorded in the Swiss construction industry, of 6.7 percent, which strengthened the wood sector.