Since sustainable development for the forests of the Atlantic Area cannot be conceived without sustainable management of forest resources, the Pan-European Forestry Certification system (P.E.F.C) makes it possible for the consumer of today to ensure that the wood purchased comes from a forest managed with sustainable methods. However, the criteria of certification have not so far been the object of a proper evaluation in a real forest site. The pilot project FORSEE proposes to consolidate this process of certification by realising a ‘life size’ test of its criteria and indicators in pilot zones of several thousands of hectares. Thanks to the results of this study, the project will make it possible to supply the participating regions with methods, tools and competences for the evaluation, oversight and promotion of the sustainable management of forests. It will thus contribute to the promotion and exchange of forestry practices which respect the environment through a network of pilot zones. Expected Results: • The regional guides that have been drawn up are available on the website of the IEFC www.iefc.net in the form of regional reports in 4 parts. They propose methods and reference values to assess sustainable forest management;• The aim to form a network of regional experts has been met, as all the members of the FORSEE project, after submitting to an evaluation of the sustainability of the forest management in their pilot zone, are aware of the theory and the practice;• The mobilisation of a large number of people to collect consistent data in the field in 8 regions in 4 countries, applying the same protocol shows the relevance of the proposals made, which can therefore be used in many sites throughout Europe. - The resulting database can lead to international studies on a hitherto unknown diversity in forest environments;• As part of the Kyoto Protocol, the work done in the FORSEE project have shown the importance of certain compartments disregarded or partially ignored in the evaluation of carbon in forests, for example the soil, the undergrowth and dead wood. Proposals have been made to improve the precision of the estimates of carbon stock in forests, which could prove important if the new rules for carbon credit allow for the inclusion of all the carbon present in forests.• The inventory of forest observatories has been made and is available on the website www.iefc.net in the form of a document presenting the specificities of each observatory;• In view of the number of contacts made and the length of the project, FORSEE has greatly contributed to the dynamism of the IEFC network;• Thanks to the involvement of associations of forest owners, forestry departments of the local governments, the Southern Europe Forest Owners' Union, and forestry cooperatives, it has been possible to publicise the project, in the industry, and to prove the validity of certain practices.