27 February 2014, ForestEurope news - Five international organizations were accepted as new observers to the FOREST EUROPE process at the start of the FOREST EUROPE Expert Level Meeting held in Valladolid, Spain, on 4-5 February.

The Council of European Foresters (CEF) is an organization for foresters and associations, societies and unions actively engaged in forestry.  It currently has more than 58,400 forester members from 11 countries.

The International Association for Mediterranean Forests (AIFM) manages a network comprising organizations, professionals and non-experts from different backgrounds (foresters, environmentalists, scientists, politicians…), who want to enhance the understanding of Mediterranean forests.

Friends of the Earth Europe unites more than 30 national organizations with thousands of local groups in an extended environmental network.  Pro Natura – Friends of the Earth Switzerland is one of these national organizations, and has over 100,000 members.

Last but not least, the Mediterranean Model Forest Network  (MMFN) currently includes 13 regions and countries from the Mediterranean Basin, which have joined and are in the process of developing Model Forests.  A Model Forest is a voluntary association of people that live in a particular territory, and are interested in discovering, defining, enhancing and guaranteeing its sustainability.

Taking into account these new inclusions, the FOREST EUROPE process now involves the participation of 45 observer organizations and 14 observer countries, as well as the 46 FOREST EUROPE signatory countries and the European Union.

FOREST EUROPE is strongly convinced that the participation of different stakeholders in the process contributes to enrich the dialogue within it and to enhance co-operation on forests and forestry.  FOREST EUROPE warmly welcomes its new observers, and looks forward to having a fruitful collaboration with them in the future.

Source:http://www.foresteurope.org/news/forest-europe-welcomes-5-new-observers-process