The Member States of the European Union have committed to
the maintenance and protection of their forests . Their aim is to develop and manage
their forestlands sustainably. The findings of the 5th Ministerial
Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe
attest a satisfactory condition and sustainable management to the
European forests in general with human-induced forest damages
being less than 1% of the total forestland . Nevertheless,
the MCPFE (2007, 2011) report also indicates that harvesting
and forest operation damages cause severe economic losses and
deteriorate the ecosystems’ health and vitality in specific areas. The general view appears to be misleading.