Legal framework and political culture: implications for NFP in Greece

1. National Agricultural Research Foundation Agricultural Research Station of Ioannina Legal framework and political culture: implications for NFP in Greece Kostas Papageorgiou & Alexandra Vakrou

2. Forest ownership Low Standing volume: 154m m3 communal Low timber quality (63% firewood) Forest resource private 0.22% of GNP (1996) Multiple functions State The state of Greek forestry

3. 24 §1 prohibits changes of land use in forest land Fundamental constitutional articles 117 §3,4 compulsory land reforestation after fires Regulate land use changes Forest Codex and Law 998/79 Protect and manage forests Ensure sustainable timber yield Strong timber orientation Impedes the pursue of multi-purpose SFM The forest legal framework Main legal instruments

4. Ministry of Agriculture Central Forest Service Main policy actor Top-down decision making system G.S. of Forests and Natural Environment Provincial governor makes decisions in the interest of public good Prefectural Forest Directorates (12) Regional Forest Directorates/ Forest District Offices (x) Forest industry Limited political power-influence Other policy actors Forest owners association Forest cooperatives Farmers NGOs Forest policy formulating actors

5. Interests of forest users and society are not fully considered Centrally made by a close circle of forest scientists and experts Instrumental rationalist decision making process (Buttoud) Regional/Provincial forest authorities have executive and management duties Forest policy is neither transparent nor democratic Restricts multipurpose objectives • Traditional conservatism • Timber oriented professional thinking • (political culture) Impeding factor The state of forest policy planning Forest policy

6. Land use • timber yield Law 998/79 rules Non-state forests State forests Forest policy puts more emphasis on productivity and less on forest-rural development relations Reasons High % state forests and low economic output (0,22% GNP); there is no structured necessity for democratic decision making process Impedes public involvement State ownership + legal framework Influence of public participation There is no legal basis for public participation in planning and implementation of management plans

7. Agriculture Environment Regional/Urban Economic Forest policy is connected to other policy areas Legal means Legal overlapping i.e. nature protection Different agencies pursue different policies Impede closer inter-sectoral coordination High sectoral protectionism (funds, juristictions, corporate interests) Political culture Significant problems are anticipated Historically shaped political culture that favours sectoral isolationism Influence on inter-sectoral coordination

8. Well recognised Social-environmental objectives Forest strategy But not legally binding process for monitoring, evaluation and adaptation Remain a sympolic endeavour Timber objectives Management plan Legally binding medium-term action plan, reviewed every 10 years Influence on iterative planning Timber-oriented management plan impedes SFM realisation

9. Conclusions The legal framework exerts dual influence: firstly, it preserves the integrity of the resource (sustainable output), secondly, it does not provide for NFP elements and structural process (unsustainable process) Implementing an NFP in Greece would require a legal reform focusing on possibilities for the public to participate in decision making and including a full anticipation of non-timber functions (allowing for the inclusion of all positive forest externalities) State ownership can be a supporting element (state is the strongest actor, harmonising legislation) as well as an impeding factor (slow moving, adopting to new planning requirements, promoting interdisciplinary co-operation) NFP realisation requires transformation of political culture from one based on economic role to one based on environmental and social role of forestry

10. Thank you