European Network of Forest Entrepreneurs e.V. – ENFE Barrie Hudson OBE, Chairman European Office: European Forestry House Rue de Luxembourg, Brussels Secretariat General Sölden, Germany

ENFE Members are Forestry Contractors Associations in 14 European Countries

The current annual harvest in Europe is some 450 million cubic metres = services for € 15 billion Forestry Contractors are responsible for some 80% of this production ENFE represents some 50,000 enterprises with a work force of around 250,000

is the main European representation of the forest operations sector aims at information dissemination between its members, and between the Network and opinion formers in Europe acts towards the social and economic development of SMEs in European Forestry along with partner organisations such as CEETTAR

What ENFE does: 1.provide communication and understanding of common problems 2.raise the profile of the contractor 3.improve access to training and education of contractors their employees 4.ensure that research and development is geared to the demands of contractors 5.provide access to best practice

What is the Vision? That Good Contractors are profitable are competent offer high quality at competitive costs are specialised in equipment, skills and work organisation are capable of continuous development offer attractive jobs and stable employment offer safe and healthy workplaces

Best practice: to define standards –qualification, quality, decent work to combat unfair competition to achieve a level playing field ENFE has developed: Guide to Good Practice in Contract Labour in Forestry (FAO, published: autumn 2008)

ENFE has gathered a team of 10 core SMEs (assisted by their National Contracting Associations), three university and seven field-based Research, Training and Development Organisations (RTDs) from across North, West Central and East Central Europe Funding from the EU of €1.6m over 3 years

Partners in 10 countries grouped into three regions

COMFOR The objective of COMFOR is to put science into practice by researching and developing tools which will encourage forest SMEs to adopt ergonomically sound working practices COMFOR will train the Entrepreneur Associations in methods of knowledge transfer to spread the results of the research to a wide body of European forest operations SMEs

EFECT  EFECT  – the European Forest Entrepreneurs CerTificate. Objective: “Define the core criteria for forest entrepreneurs´ good practice in Europe”

Vision: ”Europe is the homemarket for forestry contractors” wider markets are more flexible – demand decreases there and increases here, services should be directed more easily than it is possible today –tight local markets cause overcapacities –transfer of knowledge and best practices would be easier –result is better competitiveness  good for European forestry What to do?  Go forward toward a common vision  EFECT  makes it easier

EFECT  - Draft Core Criteria –Company should be registered –Employ qualified staff –Adequate and safe equipment –Provision of capital (sound financial position) –Management systems for: Work quality Environmental standards Health & Safety –Long term written labour / subcontracting contracts –Written service contracts –Works to laws and regulations Taxes, pension payments, wages, –Qualified business management

EFECT  - next steps ? 1.Create EFECT -Analyse content of existing national certificates and define mutual elements. -Define core elements for the acknowledgement of “good” forest entrepreneurs. ! -Design the core certification scheme based on core standards and requirements. 2.Finalise EFECT  3.Establish a management handbook for accreditation of national certificates for EFECT . 4.Establish and accredit a certification body –e.g. ENFE Members, Industry, Workers Union, PEFC, FSC International 5.Endorse EFECT 