During its General Assembly, CEPF unanimously
acclaimed Mister Stefan Schenker as its new president. The internationally
recognised expert on forestry has been heading the Austrian association "Land
& Forst Betriebe Österreich" up to last year.
Since 1995 Stefan Schenker is a member of the CEPF board. “The important
challenges for the future are seen in adjusting sustainable forest management to
energy policies, strengthening of forestry in rural areas and finding sound
approaches in nature conservation“, stated Stefan Schenker as he took over his
new task. Additionally showing the relevance of the value chain on the
forest-based sector quite plainly to society and decision makers will be of
outmost importance.
Educated in forestry he learned very early what it means to live in and from
the forest. After finishing university he completed his audit and 1976 he took
over the family estate Mariensee in Lower Austria. He made his marks on both the
national and international levels with his profound knowledge and enthusiastic
engagement in the field of forestry.
Harmonising interests
Today, 23 national forest owner
associations are gathered under the CEPF umbrella. CEPF is the representative
voice of 16 million Family Forest Owners in Europe. Once formed by a liaison of
European Forest Owners, the Central Committee of Forest Owners in Europe (CCPF)
was born in 1961. The foundation of CEPF with its owns statutes occurred in
1996. Since 1995 the office is located in Brussels and is currently headed by
General Secretary Natalie Hufnagl.
During the last ten years CEPF has become recognised within the European
Institutions as a responsible partner and has become known as the Voice of
European Family Forestry.
At the centre of the association’s activities is
the coordination of different policy areas with the objective of achieving
sustainable forest management of Europe’s forests. In this regard the EU Forest
Action Plan will play a very important role. The Forest Action Plan is to be
presented to the European Council during the Austrian EU Presidency.
Mister Schenker would like to draw special attention to the support of new
forest owners in the enlarged EU countries: “Today and in the future it is
crucial to give support to owners and their association to enable them to help
themselves. With this we can bring them on to the right track of competitive
forest management,” the newly elected president pointed out.
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