Barents Forest Sector Task Force

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Barents Forest Sector Task Force

• Timo Karjalainen, chairman of the task force
• Finnish Forest Research Institute
• Joensuu Research Unit

Barents 2010 Final Conference 21 February 2006,
Petrozavodsk
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Barents region

• includes nearly 30 of the forest area in Europe
• substantial proportion of the population
  dependent of the forest sector through
  employment, forest ownership and lifestyle
• net exporter of forest sector products
• forests and forest industries can foster
  sustainable development in the region and
  increase the welfare of its population
• key question calling for new focus is development
  of right balance between ecological, economic,
  social and cultural sustainability

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Barents Forest Sector Task Force

• Cooperation in the Barents region under the
  auspices of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council
  (BEAC), through the meetings of the Committee of
  Senior Officials (CSO) under the Ministers of
  Foreign Affairs
• CSO established several Working Groups
  basically for sustainable development of the
  region
• Mars 2000 the Working Group of Economic
  Cooperation (WGEC) established a subgroup
  working specifically on forestry issues in the
  Barents Region Barents Forest Sector Task Force
  (BFSTF)
• goal was to prepare a Northern Dimension Forest
  Sector Programme (NDFSP)

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General objective for the BFSTF

• to create necessary conditions for development in
  forestry, environmental care and wood based
  industries through co-operation, mutual concrete
  actions, projects and programs within the
  forestry sector

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BFSTF/WGEC has identified major themes calling
for action

• Development of more transparent forest sector
  through regional cooperation
• Fight against illegal logging and securing that
  legitimate authorities take measures against
  violations of rules
• Strengthen the democratic local decision making
  and communication
• Encourage cross-country education programs and
  training of personnel in the forest sector
• Develop guidance on multipurpose silviculture,
  mixed land use and model forests

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BFSTF/WGEC has identified major themes calling
for action

• Disseminate major obstacles to achieve
  international competitiveness for wood products
  of the region
• Contribute to development where property rights
  should be settled and well defined
• Update actors with key policy and forestry sector
  information to encourage private investors,
  especially small and medium sized businesses for
  new investments
• Development of infrastructure

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• BFSTF prepared a statement on forestry issues
  for the Barents Ministerial Conference in
  Harstad, 9.-10.11.2005
• suggestions adopted in the official statement,
  development of forestry sector addressed as key
  question for economic development in the region

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To promote development of the forest sector in
the region, BFSTF has two major themes, network
activities, for 2006-2007

• Business environment in forestry sector in the
  Barents region
• overall acceptability of the business, trade and
  investment barriers, role of small and medium
  sized industries/enterprises, delivering
  industries, entrepreneurship, logistic chain,
  transparency, certification, etc. and

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To promote development of the forest sector in
the region, BFSTF has two major themes, network
activities, for 2006-2007

• Cost-effective forest land use in the Barents
  region
• intensification of forest production to fulfill
  various needs of the society, expansion of
  forestry know-how, development of forest
  management planning, model forests, value adding
  in the wood chain and bioenergy needs

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• Network activities result of discussions in the
  task force meeting in Bergen 17-18. November 2005
• Aim to involve forest sector stakeholders in the
  network activities which fit well to the overall
  objectives and plans of the WGEC
• In 2006 and 2007, seminars, networking and core
  croup meetings
• One seminar in 2006, most likely devoted to the
  first networking topic, business environment in
  forestry sector in the Barents region

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• Countries participating in the BFSTF should
  nominate representatives to the core group which
  will develop further network activities and plans
• countries to provide their representatives also
  resources
• Basic material of the Barents forest sector will
  be collected, analysed and utilised in the
  network activities, and may be published and made
  available on the BEAC web-site

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BFSTF is seeking possibilities for co-operation

• with related activities avoiding overlapps,
  gaining cost-effective utilization of resources,
  and better visibility to promote overall
  objectives of the task force for example with
• other BEAC working groups
• Barents 2010 sector programme, particularly that
  on forest
• recently approved Baltic Forest project

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Contact person

• Professor Timo Karjalainen
• Chairperson of the BFSTF
• e-mail Timo.Karjalainen_at_metla.fi
• phone [phone]
• mobile [phone]

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Thank you!