The aim of the project was to evaluate the implementation of the Key Actions of the EU Forest Action Plan thus far.
The project analysed if the implementation of the Action Plan was on track for meeting the objectives, whether these objectives were met at the time, if the Action Plan had led to any side effects and whether the instruments used were relevant, effective and efficient. The work covered the implementation of the Key Actions and additional actions taken to implement the Forest Action Plan by the bodies called upon in the Action Plan, i.e. the EU Member States and the EU Commission, where forest related activities are taken in a number of General Directorates. The actions were described in detail, and the effectiveness and efficiency of Forest Action Plan implementation, as well as the relevance of the objectives, was examined. This examination incorporated stakeholder views (e.g. forest owner and operators associations) on the implementation, and an assessment of coordination of the implementation.
The evaluation also includes analysis of the full range of impacts intended in the Forest Action Plan and it will examine and explain the relevant influences on the intended results in relation to the objectives, and of other policies and intervening factors, such as the rural development measures of the Common Agricultural Policy. It was also important to this evaluation to consider other impacts and/or intended or unintended effects, which do not form part of the main objectives of the Action Plan.
The following evaluation themes, to a large extent reflecting the specific objectives of the Forest Action Plan, were followed in the evaluation of the implementation:
(1) Improving competitiveness and enhancing sustainable forestry
(2) Improving and protecting the environment
(3) Contributing to the quality of life
(4) Improving forest sector co-ordination, coherence and communication
(5) Dissemination of best practices and increasing and broadening the visibility of the sector
(6) Relevance of the objectives, key actions and activities of the Action Plan
EFI coordinated the project and was responsible for delivering the main output of the project, a detailed study report, to DG AGRI. Other project partners were University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences (BOKU), Centre Tecnologic Forestal De Catalunya (CTFC) and University of Hamburg, Institute for World Forestry (UHH/vTI).
The final report is available here: https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/sites/agriculture/files/evaluation/market-and-income-reports/2009/euforest/fulltext_en.pdf (last accessed 11.4.2018)