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 European Forest Week
Dates: 20-24 October 2008
Motto: “Working together for sustainable forest management in Europe”
The objectives of the European Forest Week are to:
- Increase the visibility of the forest based-sector and its contribution to development of economy and society in Europe.
- Raise awareness about its important contributions to mitigating climate change, providing freshwater and protecting the environment.
- Engage other sectors in a participatory dialogue on forest related issues.
European Forest Week 2008 celebrates the contribution of European forests in mitigating climate change, providing wood and renewable energy, securing the supply of fresh water and protecting our environment.
The week was declared by the ministers responsible for forests of 46 European countries and is being jointly organized by the European Commission, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, in close collaboration with the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, France.
During the week of 20-24 October, a series of meetings will be held by these entities and other European forestry-related partners at the Food and Agriculture Organization Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The Rome events will bring together hundreds of individuals from governments, non-governmental organizations, research institutions, regional and international networks, United Nations agencies and the private sector. Senior forestry and other sector-related officials from all over Europe will attend. The meetings will provide a unique opportunity for diverse stakeholders and forest managers to share perspectives and seek solutions to some of the most challenging issues facing forests and forestry today: climate change, energy and water.
In conjunction with the Rome meetings, a high-profile European Union Presidency event will be held in Brussels (20 October) and a number of national and local events will take place in participating countries throughout Europe.
European Forest Week will be observed in countries throughout Europe at international, national and local levels as governmental, non-governmental and private sector organizations and associations carry out in-country forest-related events.
In-country activities take many forms which can include: conferences or policy forums, public events such as forest fairs, nature walks or exhibits, symbolic events such as tree planting, or media events aimed at improved communication.
The following countries have already contributed to the European Forest Week: Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom (altogether 24 countries).
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