The effectiveness of the EU in international negotiations on sustainable forestry has been questioned in a Swedish research report.
Gunilla Reischl’s doctoral thesis at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences examines factors which have reduced the EU’s influence in UN negotiations on forestry.
Her thesis said the EU’s activities in negotiations have been varied and difficult to understand, experiencing more difficulties in achieving its objectives in negotiations concerning an internationally binding forest convention than concerning certification and the global forest fund.
One of her conclusions is that the EU’s behaviour in negotiations has not always resulted in constructive co-operation in the forest policy sector
The thesis, which draws on interviews and documents from negotiations, says better understanding of the factors behind successes and failures can improve international environmental co-operation.
