The main objective of the Action was to establish a European network of sites for forest ecosystem and landscape research of relevance to sustainable forest management. A common data bank of European field experiments relevant to sustainable forest management should be be established, containing comparable information about sites, data and appropriate research programmes. The Action strengthened and stimulated this network of sites by means of a common minimum research programme The COST Action E25, ENFORS had its origin from the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (Strasbourg 1990) and later resolutions (Helsinki 1993, Lisbon 1998, Vienna 2003) on sustainable forest management. These resolutions stress the need for better integration of European forest ecosystem research as well as with other disciplines in forestry. A network – European Forest Ecosystem Research Network, EFERN – was set up 1996. The conclusions about sustainable forestry were presented in a book “Pathways to the wise management of forests in Europe”. The need to expand from ecosystem to the landscape was pointed out as well as to include socio-economic aspects. The reaching of a sustainable forestry planning was seen as an essential tool to integrate the dual aims of forestry – production and environment. The Action aimed at developing a European network of field facilities including a variety of long-term ecosystem and landscape experiments. This will be the base for a future collaboration between forest scientists and also a meeting place with stakeholders. EFERN (and ENFORS) is also IUFRO working group 8.01.07. Approximately 100 research organisations, involving more than 300 researchers from 27 countries participated actively in the activities and the development of the Action. The main outcomes of the Action was the establishment of a European network of field research facilities that are carrying out or have the potential to develop integrated and multidisciplinary research at the landscape level, the elaboration of a research strategy that makes recommendations for future research and development on sustainable forest management, and the development of a meta-database containing information about field research and monitoring facilities in Europe related to sustainable forest management. Details on the Action can be found on the Action Web-site (http://www.enfors.org). The Action developed an extensive cooperation with inter-European and international organizations and institutions.
