About us
Origin of the project
In May 2007 at the meeting about ‘safety and health in forestry operations’ in Annecy, France, the first idea about a European system to identify chainsaw competences was mentioned. In 2008 a group of people of several European countries continued working on the idea by brainstorming with stakeholders about minimum standards, experiences from the sector, different national approaches and circumstances, etc. In February 2009 the ECC-project proposal with 7 European partners was submitted to the Leonardo-agency in the UK and after approval in September we could start the project on October 1st 2009. Since than we’ve had lively discussions, intensive preparatory meetings, productive working group and animated conversations while more and more enthusiastic partners joined the team.
What is EFESC?
On one of the international meetings the question about the need for a well defined organisational structure aroused. After discussion and brainstorming the participants of the meeting decided to go with the name: European Forestry and Environmental Skills Council – EFESC.
The European Forestry and Environmental Skills Council is considered as a pre-association established in 2009 by the consortium of several European countries in order to address issues dealing with competences and skills regarding labour activities in forestry and the natural environment. The idea is to offer a central information point for anyone who is dealing with labour activities in the outdoors and would like to improve his/her skills or competences or have them certified. The first product developed under the umbrella of EFESC is the European Chainsaw Certificate, ECC.
The official website of EFESC is www.efesc.eu, at present ECC is the only product available, but more products are to be developed in the future.
