Brussels, 05/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on 6-7 September, the European Parliament will host a high-level conference entitled “European and global forests - which way for the future?”. The conference will celebrate the International Year of Forests whilst tackling the challenges of the management, conservation and sustainable development of forests, notably in the face of climate change.
This conference, which is being held by initiative of Gaston Franco MEP (EPP, France) of the “Forests” group of the European Parliament intergroup “Climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development”, has the support of the FAO.
The conference will provide the opportunity to exchange best practice and concrete solutions for the conservation and sustainable management of forests, raising awareness of obstacles to deforestation, illegal logging, respect for the rights of the populations and reaffirming the link between the fight against poverty and the fight against deforestation. The stakes are high, with 1.6 billion people depending on the forests for their survival, and the estimated cost of deforestation and the degradation of forests to the global economy of between €1.75 and €3 billion a year. (A.N./transl.fl)