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The workplan for COST E30 has been agreed in the first Management Committee
meeting in September 2002. It is described in the Memorandum of
Understanding for the implementation of a European Concerted Research
Action designated as COST Action E30 "Economic integration of
urban consumers' demand and rural forestry production". The MoU
is available here
as a PDF-document.
Download Acrobat Reader
The main objective of COST Action E30 is to gain a better
understanding of the problems and possible solutions to
forest-based entrepreneurship in small-scale forestry,
wood processing and non-wood forest products and services
aiming at improved employment and income in rural areas.
The Action will increase the knowledge base for forest based
and market integrated rural development. The Action will improve
the understanding of the private sector development potentials of
forestry-wood-processing-chains and bring value-adding closer to
the sites where trees are growing.
The information collected and analysed will include the problem
area analysis as well as the determination of recommendations and
practical solutions. This is clearly a benefit from both the
scientific and practical viewpoints, and will contribute especially
to the planning and implementation of rural development activities,
such as structural funding in many sparsely populated regions of
Europe.
The Action will provide a better understanding of the similarities
and differences on the economic integration of small-scale forestry
to local wood processing and urban demand for forest-based services
in European Union member states, Associate Candidate EU countries and
other Central and Eastern European countries. This will especially
provide relevant information for the discussions on forest
privatisation in the CEE countries.
A clear benefit of the Action is the level and extent of the
co-operation envisaged. The Action will collect the best available
expertise on small-scale forestry, local wood and non-wood processing
and the use of forest resources to satisfy consumer demands.
Action scientific areas
The Action has three scientific areas. The main part of the Action
will be carried out in the working groups (WG) in these scientific areas:
WG1: Small-scale forestry
The focus will be on the analyses of owner's
attitudes on forestry and forest utilisation, small-scale forestry production possibilities
and the integration of small-scale forestry into local small- and medium-scale
wood and non-wood processing industries.
WG 2: SMEs in wood processing industries
The aim is to analyse the conditions under which the
performance of SMEs in wood processing industries using
locally produced resources can be improved to meet the
demands of urban consumer markets. The focus will be on
the analysis of increased business opportunities in SMEs
in wood processing industries that could create jobs,
raise employment and help the development of rural areas.
WG 3: Non-wood forest products and services
The aim is to analyse the conditions under which the
demand of especially urban population on non-wood forest
products and services can be better integrated into rural
supply. The focus will be in the analysis of increased
opportunities for demand-driven entrepreneurship in
non-wood forest products and services.
Action phases
In Phase I, the research work will cover definitions,
national applications, and historical background of various
small-scale forestry practises (WG 1), the options and value-adding
in utilising local wood resources for local manufacturing (WG 2),
and the uses of non-wood forest products and services provided by
forests in different countries (WG 3).
In Phase II the research to be conducted will cover the
problem area analysis of the above mentioned fields.
In Phase III, the research work, on the basis of problem
area analyses, will include the evaluation of solutions and practical
recommendations on the problems defined in the phase II.
In Phase IV, the work will cover the reporting of the
scientific findings and summarising the practical recommendations of
the Action.
The Action will be led by a Management Committee (MC)
according to the rules and procedures for implementing COST Actions
(PDF-file at COST homepage).
The main part of the Action will be carried out in three working groups (WG).
The national representatives in the Management
Committee will nominate the Working Group members.
If you are interested in joining the work of the Action,
contact the MC member of your country.
The Action is encouraging researcher mobilisation by
starting a Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM) scheme.
In this scheme the researchers can visit the other
participating institute e.g. for collecting data or
getting introduced to a new research method and the
travelling costs and accommodation will be reimbursed
by the COST. More information.
The Action is planned to be completed within 48 months after its
initiation (20 Sept. 2002).
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