At the Second Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe, held in Helsinki in 1993, sustainable forest management was defined as follows: "The stewardship and use of forests and forest lands in a way, and at a rate, that maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality, and their potential to fulfil, now and in the future, relevant ecological, economic, and social functions at local, national and global levels, and that does not cause damage to other ecosystems". This definition, which is generally accepted in Europe, takes into consideration the multifunctionality of the forest and the striving for sustainable development by nature and the economy. In order to reach that goal, the Austrian forestry policy is oriented toward a seminatural forest management. It has also been given high priority in the Council Resolution on a forestry strategy for the European Union (Official Journal C 56 of February 26, 1999, p. 1). In order to evaluate the state and the development of sustainable forestry in Austria the "Pan-European Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management", adopted within the framework of the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe, are applied. In Austria sustainable forest management is based on a well-established legal and institutional framework. The Austrian forest law has always dealt with the subject of sustainability and the maintenance of the diverse forest functions on a long-term basis. The current amendment to the Austrian Forest Act includes international developments and emphasises, within the framework of the multifunctional effects of the forest, namely its economic, protective, beneficial and recreational effects, especially its importance as a habitat for animals and plants and for biodiversity.
