FOREST EUROPE Ministers Launch Negotiations for a Legally Binding Agreement

OSLO, Norway, June 16, 2011 -

- European 2020 Targets set for
Protection and Sustainable Management
of Forests

Health and sustainability of Europe’s forests are essential in
solving the challenges posed by climate change, biodiversity
protection and fresh water supplies. Forest vitality is also
crucial for fostering a green economy in Europe and across the
globe. The protection and sustainable management of Europe’s
forests thus requires a stable and efficient platform for coherent
policy development and implementation. Therefore, European
ministers responsible for forests made the historical decision
yesterday to launch negotiations for a Legally Binding Agreement on
Forests in Europe. They also adopted European 2020 targets for
forests. This far-reaching political step was taken at the FOREST
EUROPE Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in
Europe, which currently takes place in Oslo, Norway.

“The decision by ministers to go ahead with the negotiations
towards a Legally Binding Agreement on Forests represents a major
step towards creating the necessary structure for a coherent
approach to the continent’s forests,” said the Norwegian Minister
of Agriculture and Food, Mr Lars Peder Brekk, chairman of the
FOREST EUROPE process. “A strengthened political cooperation in
Europe will be vital for achieving a balanced and stable continuity
of all environmental, economic and social forest functions, and for
contributing to the achievement of international agreed
objectives.”

As part of the future FOREST EUROPE strategy, ministers agreed
on European 2020 targets for forests.

At the Ministerial Conference, Spain took over the chairmanship
from Norway.

The conference was attended by ministers and high-level
representatives from 42 FOREST EUROPE countries.

For more details:

• FOREST EUROPE Ministerial Conference Oslo 2011: href="www.foresteurope.org/conference2011">www.foresteurope.org/conference2011.
• FOREST EUROPE:  href="www.foresteurope.org/">www.foresteurope.org.
• International Year of Forests:  href="www.un.org/en/events/iyof2011">www.un.org/en/events/iyof2011.

For further information:
FOREST EUROPE
Kristin Dawes, +47-941-49-351
href="mailto:kristin.dawes@foresteurope.org">kristin.dawes@foresteurope.org

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