an increasing part of this renewable energy may come from forest biomass. EFINORD countries have great potential to incr
EFINORD www.efinord.efi.int
The North European Regional Office of the European Forest Institute – EFINORD – is based in Copenhagen, Denmark. EFINORD launched its activities in 2010 and promotes forest research networking within the Nordic-Baltic Sea-North Atlantic region. The EFINORD network currently has around 30 partner organisations in the region, and is an open network which new partners can join.
Forests and forestry in the EFINORD region Forests in the region have important, multiple roles: • The forest sector contributes tangibly to the region’s economy. Sweden and Finland are among the leading wood pulp producers worldwide, and forest product exports contribute significantly to the foreign trade balance in many of the region’s countries. • The Nordic countries are among the global leaders in technological innovations in intensive silviculture, logging and timber processing. • Forests are an important source of recreation for the local population, and help to attract foreign tourists. The Nordic region has a strong tradition of networking within the forest researcher community of around 1,500 individual forest researchers. However, the trend of decreasing national funding is underpinning the need for deeper cross-border cooperation.
The main aims of EFINORD are: • Strengthening forest research and networking in Northern Europe • Encouraging North European forest researchers to take part in European projects • Increasing regional synergies by e.g. providing support to networks, research meetings, projects and joint utilization of unique research facilities • Promoting research activities of North European relevance • Contributing to the European Forest Institute’s (EFI) strategic core functions • Initiating and facilitating communication of research results, thereby supporting EFI’s strategic aim of providing information on Europe’s forests to stakeholders The overall purpose of EFINORD is to create closer links between the region and EFI, and to add a European dimension to existing Nordic forest research cooperation. EFINORD includes numerous research organisations in Northern Europe, and has a solid base for regional collaboration. Moreover, EFINORD forms an umbrella for forest-related projects and promoting sustainable forest management in the macroeconomic EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) and its action plan.
Research and information EFINORD’s research themes fall within the scope of sustainable forest management, the key concept in the Selfoss Declaration which was signed by Nordic forest ministers in 2008. EFINORD focuses on two thematic issues: • Biomass production and intensive forest management The EU’s climate and energy policy targets for the year 2020 state that 20% of total energy consumption should come from renewable energy. In the future, an increasing part of this renewable energy may come from forest biomass. EFINORD countries have great potential to increase forest biomass production. • Ecosystem services Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems including non-wood forest products, urban forestry (including recreation and health), biodiversity, water resources, and forest and landscape restoration. EFINORD’s work also falls into three broad, cross-cutting themes: • Climate change • Environmental economics • Governance and policy NB Forest NB Forest is a regional web portal for forest research in the Nordic and Baltic region. It disseminates and shares forest-related information. Launched in December 2011, NB Forest is part of the Flagship project on sustainable forestry in the EU Strategy on the Baltic Sea Region, and receives funding from the Nordic Council of Ministers as well as in-kind contributions from forest research institutions in the region. www.nbforest.info
Networking EFINORD facilitates capacity building through networking, and aims to create more interaction and cooperation between institutes and research teams in the region by acting as an umbrella for networking activities. Networking does not replace existing activities or resources, but EFINORD focuses its activities on areas where joining forces gives the network members concrete benefits. The EFINORD network gives a wider view and brings added value for its members through: • Synthesizing existing knowledge • Identifying knowledge gaps and initiating new research • Providing a more efficient exchange of information The EFINORD platform can play an active role in: • Creating research consortia • Joint publications • Communication of forest research • Joint use of unique research facilities EFINORD’s main task is to work as a facilitator, to disseminate research results, support policy processes and raise awareness among decision makers. Activities carried out within the EFINORD platform can make a significant impact on policy support on a North European scale, acting as a unified voice for North European forest research in Europe.
Partnerships EFINORD-SNS collaboration EFINORD collaborates and has joint activities with the Nordic Forest Research Co-operation Committee – SNS, the cooperation agency which operates within and is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. This cooperation strengthens contacts between the forest research communities in the Nordic, Baltic Sea and the North Atlantic regions and creates a closer link between the North European region and EFI. Both EFINORD and SNS secretariats are located at Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Denmark until the end of 2013, and after that a rotation to another country is expected. EFINORD-SNS collaboration includes a yearly joint network call for financing forest research networking activities. The total annual budget for the call is around 140,000 euros, and network grants are given for a one-year period. Researchers at organisations in the EFINORD region are eligible to apply.
Partners The current network has six core partners who contribute in-kind or in-cash to the EFINORD Regional Office. EFINORD has also around 30 network partners in 13 countries who have signed a letter of support or participate in EFINORD activities. The core partners are: • Finnish Forest Research Institute (METLA) • Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) • Nordic Forest Research Co-operation Committee (SNS) • Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen • Estonian University of Life Sciences (EMU) • Forest Research Institute (IBL)
The Regional Offices of EFI are formally integral parts of the Institute and governed by Terms of Reference and EFI management practices. They address forest research and networking issues at a regional level following the EFI Strategy. Their activities bring visibility to regional forest issues by putting them into European context. Regional Offices also strengthen the EFI network by opening new avenues for funding.
The European Forest Institute is the leading forest research network in Europe. It is an international organisation established by European States to conduct and advocate for forest research, and advance forest research networking across the whole of Europe. It is an acknowledged contact point for unbiased, policy-relevant information on forests and forestry.
EUROPEAN FOREST INSTITUTE European Forest Institute – EFINORD
www.efinord.efi.int
Photos: PHONE / Simon André, Maslov Dmitry / Fotolia, Kjersti / Fotolia, Erkki Oksanen / METLA, torstenrempt / Fotolia, Desiree Mattsson, alekseyk100 / Fotolia
EFI REGIONAL OFFICES
