Very important about Council of European Foresters (C.E.F.)

1. C.E.F., the European organization of the European foresters and foresters’ organizations has more than 58,400 members.

2.  Access through the C.E.F. and the Advisory Forest Experts Group to the EU institutions (European Parliament, European Council, European Commission) and the Council of Europe institutions (Parliamentary Assembly, Committee of Ministers, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Conference of International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) of the Council of Europe).

3. C.E.F. promotes the Forester’s Declaration, a document on the Statute, activity, image, rights and obligations of the foresters from Europe and worldwide, to UN, Council of Europe and EU and in each country of Europe.

4. C.E.F. promotes the performance, activity and professionalism of the foresters, the interest and performance of the students and graduates of forest schools and faculties, as well as the performance level of the forest faculties and research.

5. The C.E.F. leadership consists of a Council and a President, the President being elected for one year.

6. C.E.F. members do not pay any fee for C.E.F., the activity of the C.E.F. President being financially and logistically supported by the national organization to which he/she belongs.

7. The costs of participation in activities organized by C.E.F. (Council meetings, seminars, symposiums, meetings with European and worldwide institutions, foresters’ festivals, foresters’ professional, artistic and sportive competitions, etc) shall be supported by each participant.

CEF PRESENTATION

Council of the European Foresters (C.E.F.) established in Sibiu, Romania, on August 25, 2011 invites foresters, professional organizations and unions of foresters from Europe to join this international organization of foresters. C.E.F. has more than 58,400 foresters members.

C.E.F. is an international, democratic and open organization to which the member organizations should not pay any fee and the leadership of C.E.F. is taken every year by an organization from another country.  

C.E.F. does not admit that among its members or between C.E.F. and other foresters the relationships to be undemocratic, intolerant or discriminatory. In its activity, C.E.F. will cooperate with other international organizations as long as they work in the interest and welfare of the foresters.

The C.E.F. objectives are: 

·         to develop the understanding among foresters and between the foresters and society; 

·         to support the interests of foresters, members of the C.E.F. at the national, European and global level; 

·         to develop the international solidarity among foresters; 

·         to inform the members of the organization about the subjects and issues of the forestry sector in Europe and world; 

·         to represent the member organizations and the foresters at the international institutions like the UN, the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the European Council, the European Commission and others related to the forestry field, environment, bio-energy reserves, timber and biomass and to the labor relations; 

·         the development of contacts, understanding and cooperation among the members of C.E.F. and between C.E.F. and other international organizations of the foresters; 

·         to develop the experience and knowledge exchange in the forestry field between the member organizations; to promote the Forester's Declaration in order to be recognized and implemented by national and international institutions.

Through the Forester's Declaration provisions recognition by the communities, national and international institutions, it is recognized the role and importance of the foresters' work in sustainable forests management, the forester's right to participate actively in the development of forestry strategy and policy, in the promotion of the sustainable forest management and are recognized the foresters' social rights.

C.E.F. has already notified the Forester's Declaration to the United Nations, Council of Europe and to the European Union institutions. 

C.E.F. considers that a direct contact between itself and the Council of Europe will determine better information of the Council of Europe about the forestry situation in Europe that will lead to the establishment of a forestry strategy appropriate to each country of Europe.

Regarding the forestry situation from the EU, C.E.F. considers that the forestry sector strategy cannot be different from that of the whole Europe. 

At EU level, C.E.F. considers as needed to be created a Forestry Directorate General or a Forestry Directorate within the Commission for Agriculture and Rural Development, which will determine the monitoring of the sustainable forest management applying in all member countries. 

C.E.F. also considers that it is needed to establish an Advisory Forest Experts Group to be consulted by the institutions of the Council of Europe and European Union for forest sector matters.

Council of European Foresters

President

Marian Stoicescu

February 1^st, 2012

  C.E.F. STRATEGY FOR THE PERIOD 2014-2019 C.E.F. AND A.G.F.E.E. ACTIONS PROGRAM FOR THE PERIOD SEPTEMBER 2014 - OCTOBER 2015 Adopted by the C.E.F.’s Board and by A.G.F.E.E. in 6 September 2014, Baile Felix

C.E.F. Strategy during 2014-2019 will include the following main objectives, which will be taking into consideration to develop the CEF and AGFEE Actions Program:

1. To promote the importance and necessity of applying sustainable forest management in all the forests of Europe; this involves taking into equitable consideration all the forest functions: economic function, ecological function and social function;

2. In accordance with the C.E.F. observer status at FOREST EUROPE meetings - Round Table Meetings - Workshops & Working Groups - Expert Level Meetings, which C.E.F. obtained on February 4, 2014, C.E.F. will participate to: • Forest Europe Round Table Meeting on updating the Sustainable Forest Management Tools - Cuenca, Spain on November 3, 2014. • Forest Europe Round Table Meeting on topics for the next Ministerial Conference - Cuenca, Spain on 4 - 5 November 2014. • Forest Europe Expert Level Meeting to prepare Extraordinary Forest Europe Ministerial Conference - Cuenca, Spain on 6-7 November 2014. During the Extraordinary Ministerial Conference the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for a Legally Binding Agreement on Forests in Europe shall present its work for its consideration and possible adoption. Also, participants in the meeting will discuss possible topics for the 7th Ordinary Ministerial Conference, which will be organized in October 2015.

Observations: • The invitations to these meetings and also to other meetings of the FOREST EUROPE institutions shall be analyzed by the C.E.F’ s Board and will be sent to all the C.E.F. members in due time. • The delegations who will participate in FOREST EUROPE meetings shall be convened based on C.E.F. members’ requests, by the C.E.F.s’ Board. • The proposals which the delegates will present to the FOREST EUROPE meetings shall be analyzed and set by the Board of C.E.F. Board.

3. Continuing the C.E.F. requests to the European Union institutions (the European Commission, the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the European Parliament) for: • Establishing a Forestry Authority in the European Union. Forest Authority at EU level can regulate the legal framework of issuing forestry regulations, can regulate forest policies, forestry strategies and forestry programs at EU level, can regulate the financial support from the European Union or from the EU countries for preserving forests and their multiple ecosystem services (supporting, regulating, provisioning and cultural), applying the sustainable forest management or increasing forest area, can initiate the development of good practice guides and innovations to implement sustainable forest management and preventing illegal forest logging in some European countries, etc. • Coordinating and strengthening the role of the forestry institutions and their contribution to economic viability of forest sector and human well-being, its role in climate change adaptation and mitigation, preventing global environmental risks. • Obtaining for C.E.F. the member status in the Advisory Group on Forestry and Cork from the Commission for Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission. • Further requests to complete Annex 1 of the European Commission Decision of 23 April 2004 on the advisory groups of the common agricultural policy (2004/391 / EC) with the Advisory Group of Forest Experts from Europe.

4. Participation of C.E.F. to the UNFF meetings

5. Participation of C.E.F. and Advisory Group of Forest Experts from Europe to events and meetings organized by C.E.F. member organizations.

6. Encouraging the C.E.F. Board, Advisory Group of Forest Experts from Europe as well as C.E.F. member institutions to create a joint project on some of the most challenging prioritized topics of forestry. EU funds can be considered for financing.

7. Strengthen and promote the role of forest related research in the science politics and the EU research strategy programs.

8. Enlarge the number of members to C.E.F.