Forest management
We live in a world of increased use of natural resources. As this trend intensifies, renewable resources are at a premium, a fact reflected in EU and global policies on sustainability in general and forest management in particular.
The 1998 Forestry Strategy for the European Union was aimed at establishing a coherent framework of forest-related actions at EU level, which complemented and reinforced the Member States’ forest policies, and promoting sustainable forest management.
Among other things, the EU Forestry Strategy provided support for certification schemes to promote the use of wood from sustainable managed forests, as well as biodiversity and conservation programmes.
EU Forest Action Plan
Following the Commission’s first report on implementation of the EU Forestry Strategy, an EU Forest Action Plan was adopted in 2006.
A main aim of the Action Plan is to adapt the Strategy to a more open and global market and to the current policy context. It therefore aims to improve the competitiveness of the forestry sector while taking more targeted actions to reduce its impact on climate change, biodiversity loss and air pollution.
The Action Plan requires implementation measures by the Member States, with support from EU instruments, and runs from 2007-2011.
FLEGT
An additional measure in this field is the Action Plan for Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT), adopted in 2003, with the ultimate goal of facilitating trade in legal timber and eliminating illegal-timber trading with the EU.
The key regions and countries targeted are Central Africa, Russia, tropical South America and Southeast Asia. The principal objective is to improve governance in timber-producing countries through Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPA) so that only legally harvested timber enters the EU.
In October 2008, after public consultation, the European Commission presented a draft regulation on additional options to fight against illegal logging in 2006. The draft legislation proposed that companies placing timber and timber products on the EU market should be required to adopt systems of 'due diligence' to ensure that they exclude illegal products. Negotiations on the proposed regulation are ongoing between the European Institutions and an agreement is foreseen in 2010/2011.
ACE’s position on forest management
Sustainable forestry is a fundamental basis for the beverage carton. From 1950 forest growth in Europe has risen continuously and growth in the forests from which ACE members source, has exceeded felling.
At present only 75% of the annual wood increment is harvested, meaning a sustained increase in forest resources.
Policies and systems are in place to ensure that this sustainable development will continue. Forest regeneration plans, designed to resemble nature’s own dynamic renewal of forest areas, form an integral part of the management measures practiced by Nordic forestry. Each area scheduled for harvesting must have a regeneration plan favouring renewal of natural habitats.
ACE broadly welcomes the draft Regulation laying down the obligations of operators who place timber and timber products on the market. We support the principle of due diligence, and believe that existing and applicable systems, such as third party-verified chain-of-custody systems like FSC/PEFC, should also be accepted in the Regulation. ACE´s global voluntary commitment concerning third-party-verified traceability systems for wood fibres used for the manufacturing of beverage cartons is doing just that.