FOREST EUROPE has highlighted the increasing importance of Europe’s forests, particularly as a mitigating factor in climate change, during its Expert Level Meeting on 24-25 November in Oslo, Norway. The representatives of the member countries and participants also emphasised the importance of protecting and enhancing the full range of goods and services associated with the continent’s forests. FOREST EUROPE’s policies and tools protect and sustainably manage Europe’s forests and provide a healthy basis for biodiversity, plants and natural products. The just concluded Expert Level Meeting resulted in a consensus that developing a legally binding agreement on Europe’s forests is an important option for strengthening the policy framework in Europe. The Expert Level Meeting also decided that the political process, until now known as the MCPFE, should adopt the new brand name of “FOREST EUROPE”. Processes and policies within the ministerial cooperation are still to be operated under the official name of the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe.
