Conclusions of the Workshop 'Policy Options for Wood Energy' - Cavtat, Croatia

- The workshop provided a useful platform for the countries of the region to share
-Participants urged the introduction of active arrangements that could encourage
future regular exchange. - The country reports highlighted the scope for wood to play an even greater role in meeting the energy needs of the countries, reducing reliance on high cost fossil fuels.
- Increasing the efficiency of wood energy and its share in the overall energy supply of the region has the potential to boost economic development and employment, especially in rural areas.
- The region is a net exporter of wood fuel while at the same time highly dependent on imported energy.
- The current lack of reliable consistent data about wood energy across the region must be addressed, if policies are to be soundly based.
- Improvements in infrastructure are essential to encourage wood mobilization and allow countries to realize fully the considerable potential of their forest resources.
- Private forestry has significant potential to increase the supply of wood energy, but the small scale and scattered private forest ownership are barriers to mobilizing the wood resource.
- The divided responsibilities across public and private sector stakeholders together with the absence of a clearly recognized lead body, produces difficulties in developing and implementing policies for promoting wood energy.
- Financial support through coherent incentive mechanisms could do much to help with the high investment costs that are currently a barrier to the wider adoption of modern wood energy systems.
- With notable exceptions, panel, pellet and briquette production have increased significantly and, in several areas, production capacity now exceeds the available supply of co-products: the economic downturn in the sawmill sector has worsened the situation.
�� Wood energy in the region must be affordable if it is to succeed. - Practical demonstration projects are the most effective mechanism for convincing stakeholders of the effectiveness and benefits of modern wood burning technology.
- A technology transfer needs assessment from EU to non-EU countries would assist greatly in identifying current gaps in know how.
- The introduction of a system of consistent quality standards for wood fuels is essential in supporting market development.

Recommendations:
- Build on the network initiated at this workshop to secure the regular exchange of wood energy information between countries in the region, with the support of international organizations.
- There should be further regional workshops to review progress in advancing modern wood energy.
- International organisations should work together and coordinate their wood energy capacity building activities in the region.
- Countries may wish to examine how to enhance cross-sectoral cooperation (public and private) and coordination to develop policies, strategies and practical projects for greater and efficient use of wood energy.
- Action should be taken to improve wood energy information in the region.