Speech of Minister Ren COLLIN

Distinguished Co-Chairs, Ministers, Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have the honour and pleasure to speak today on behalf of Belgium, of
the three Regions and of Ministers responsible for forest policies being
conducted there.
Belgium is aware of the importance of Forest Europe as a volunteer highlevel political process and widely appreciates its contribution to
strengthening the sustainable management of forests in Europe for 25
years. Given the challenges we face, Belgium considers that cooperation
on forest policy in Europe is a tool and a key lever.
I will mention a few achievements and projects of the Walloon Region, in
areas related to themes developed by Forest Europe for 25 years.
My goal is to further strengthen sustainable forest management by
ensuring the recognition of its multifunctional nature: economic,
environmental and social.
Wallonia, comprising 80% of the Belgian forests, adopted in 2008 a new
Forest Law incorporating in its first article the principles, criteria and
indicators of sustainable development adopted at the Ministerial
Conference in Lisbon in 1998.

Many measures of the Forest Law are an application of those principles

to ensure sustainable development of the Walloon forests. For example,
the Law provides a form of payment for ecosystem services supplied by

the forest through inheritance tax exemption on the value of standing

timber for private owners.
This exemption is extended to the fund value and property taxes for
forests located in Natura 2000 sites.

The Nature and Forests Department of Wallonia is in charge of the

management of public forests but for better awareness among local
councillors, the new Forest Code has provided that the forest
management plans have to be approved by the Municipal Council after a
public inquiry for fully involving local actors, and no more by the Minister
of Forests.

Let us examine in more detail the implementation of the Forest

Europe tools:
No later than 1997, criteria and indicators have been integrated into the
data collection of the Permanent Forest Resources Inventory of
Wallonia.
This initiative currently allows us to better understand the evolution of our
forest by indicators that were not collected before, including on
biodiversity.
I welcome the work carried out by Forest Europe to improve criteria and
indicators, as presented at this conference.
Similarly, the Guidelines for Sustainable Management at the operational
level have fed some of the provisions of the Forest Code, but also
implementing orders thereof. Examples include conservation measures
relating to limit the sizes of clear cuts, drainage and chemical inputs, the

choice of species and provenances, the mix of species and structures,

maintenance of dead trees, ...
The same recommendations have provided the basis for forest
management requirements of PEFC International, which allowed to
certify an important part of Walloon and European forests, according to a
common understanding of sustainable management.
In Wallonia, more than 53% of forest areas are PEFC certified, the
proportion being 98% for public forests.
This PEFC processes in Wallonia allow to improve forest practices of the
owners, but is also a place for collective learning. It also led groups with
sometimes divergent interests to collaborate and better communicate,
which is a prerequisite for sustainable management.

In an urbanized society like ours, forests are places of healing that must
remain open to the public. It is also a prerequisite for awareness of the
preservation of biodiversity and the importance of ecosystem services.
Significant efforts have been made to welcome youth movements in the
forest and their coaching through awareness activities. Efforts have also
been devoted to the tourism development of Walloon forests that
constitue the first attractiveness for tourists and contribute to local
development.
The economic function of the forest is essential; for rural municipalities, it
contributes significantly to their budget, and offers resources to improve
the well-being and therefore maintaining populations while ensuring local
jobs.

Let us turn to future challenges, notably the protection of forests

against environmental changes: Wallonia established a Walloon Forest
Health Observatory, in collaboration with our French friends. Increasing
the resilience of our forests must be a priority while these are being
undermined in particular by low species diversity and excessive pressure
of the big game.
A Framework Agreement on Forest Research and Extension binds the
Government and the Forest Faculties of Wallonia, to develop adaptive
management and anticipate global changes. The Extension part helps to
quickly disseminate research results towards the managers.
Concerning the forest-based sector, the Office Economique Wallon du
Bois created in 2012 is in charge among others of the monitoring of the
sector, and of boosting the development of the timber sector via
innovative activities within the scope of bio-economy. Particular attention
should be paid to the issue of wood energy that must be the last stage of
the processing, when there is no other possible use.

Beyond these examples, Belgium supports the Madrid resolutions and

decisions, and calls for greater collaboration at the 'Large Europe' level,
under the umbrella of the Forest Europe voluntary process, and in the
context of a future convention on forests, if a consensus is developing in
the future.
I thank you for your attention.