Tree work in Europe: associations, qualifications and safety bodies in seven countries

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It covers qualifications and safety rules in seven European countries, and every cell comes from a page opened and read on October 9, 2026. Body and qualification names are given in the original language, with an English gloss in brackets that is our own translation. For the two European-wide credentials, the European Tree Worker and the European Tree Technician, and the dates of sittings, see the European Arboricultural Council guide. For the regulators and other official bodies by country, see the Europe page of official bodies.

The seven countries side by side

Three short tables follow, one per column of the comparison, with countries in alphabetical order. A national qualification here is one that the awarding body or the education ministry describes on its own page. The safety table names the publication, not a legal duty.

Arboriculture association or ISA chapter

Country	Association
France	Société française d'arboriculture (SFA) (French Arboricultural Society), which calls itself a chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. See the SFA's own page.
Germany	ISA Germany e.V. (Deutsche Baumpflege-Gesellschaft), the German section of the ISA, based in Heidelberg. See its Über Uns page.
Italy	Società Italiana di Arboricoltura (SIA) (Italian Society of Arboriculture), the Italian chapter of the ISA. See its Chi siamo page.
Netherlands	Koninklijke VHG (Royal VHG), a trade association for green-sector businesses that takes part as National Member of the European Arboricultural Council. See the VHG recertification page.
Norway	Norsk Trepleieforum (NTF) (Norwegian Tree Care Forum), a member of the ISA. See the NTF home page.
Poland	Federacja Arborystów Polskich (FAP) (Federation of Polish Arborists). See the FAP home page.
Spain	Asociación Española de Arboricultura (AEA) (Spanish Arboricultural Association). See the AEA home page.

Qualification or certificate

Country	Qualification
France	Certificat de spécialisation agricole arboriste-élagueur (agricultural specialisation certificate, arborist and tree pruner), issued under the Ministry of Agriculture, which replaced the older "taille et soin des arbres" certificate. See the ministry's October 2018 sheet.
Germany	Geprüfter Fachagrarwirt Baumpflege (certified specialist in tree care), a further-training exam run by a state body, here the Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe for Baden-Württemberg. See the Regierungspräsidium page.
Italy	European Tree Worker and European Tree Technician, which the SIA describes as certifications issued by the European Arboricultural Council. See the SIA certification page.
Netherlands	European Tree Worker and European Tree Technician recertification, organised in the Netherlands by IPC Groene Ruimte and Praktijkcentrum Bomen on behalf of the EAC, as the VHG page states.
Norway	Arborist, a two-year part-time course of 60 credits ending in a fagskole degree (vocational college degree), at Fagskulen Vestland. The NTF itself runs the European Tree Worker exam. See the Fagskulen Vestland page.
Poland	European Tree Worker, with the exam run by the FAP. See the FAP course and exam page.
Spain	European Tree Worker and European Tree Technician, which the AEA organises, and a VETCert project, all on the AEA's certifications page. See the AEA certifications page.

Work safety body and publication

Country	Safety body and publication
France	Mutualité sociale agricole (MSA) (agricultural social insurance body): notice "La fiche d'intervention lors des chantiers d'élagage et d'abattage" (the intervention sheet for pruning and felling sites). See the MSA notice.
Germany	Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung (DGUV) (German Social Accident Insurance): DGUV Information 214-059, "Ausbildung für Arbeiten mit der Motorsäge und die Durchführung von Baumarbeiten" (training for chainsaw work and tree work), edition November 2018. See the DGUV publication page.
Italy	Ministero del Lavoro e delle Politiche Sociali (Ministry of Labour and Social Policies): Circolare n. 2 of February 13, 2025 with the annex "Istruzioni per l'esecuzione in sicurezza di lavori su alberi con funi" (instructions for safe work on trees with ropes). See the ministry circular.
Netherlands	Stigas, Arbocatalogus (workplace health and safety catalogue), page "Motor- / accukettingzaag (Veiligheid)" (petrol and battery chainsaw, safety). See the catalogue page.
Norway	Arbeidstilsynet (Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority): page "Dokumentert, sertifisert og utstyrsspesifikk opplæring" (documented, certified and equipment-specific training), which lists portable chainsaws among equipment needing it. See the Arbeidstilsynet page.
Poland	Centralny Instytut Ochrony Pracy, Państwowy Instytut Badawczy (CIOP-PIB) (Central Institute for Labour Protection, National Research Institute): "Ograniczanie ryzyka odbicia przy cięciu drewna przenośnymi pilarkami łańcuchowymi" (reducing kickback risk when cutting wood with portable chainsaws), Warsaw 2011. See the CIOP-PIB booklet.
Spain	Instituto Nacional de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo (INSST) (National Institute for Safety and Health at Work): NTP 1119 and NTP 1120, "Seguridad en los trabajos de poda en árboles" (safety in tree pruning work), 2018. See the INSST page for NTP 1119.

France

The Société française d'arboriculture says on its own pages that it brings together the people of the tree and landscape trades, that it is a chapter of the ISA, and that it also works inside the European Arboricultural Council. It names French-speaking counterparts in Belgium, Switzerland and Quebec. The Ministry of Agriculture's October 2018 sheet says the certificat de spécialisation agricole "arboriste - élagueur" replaced "taille et soin des arbres". It also says "diagnostic et taille des arbres" was renamed to this title because the trade thought the word "diagnostic" could cause confusion about the level of responsibility. The sheet says the certificate is built from three capitalisable units, is listed in the national register of professional certifications, and takes 16 weeks in a training centre plus at least 12 weeks in the workplace when prepared through continuing training, or a one-year contract by apprenticeship. It sets no work-experience condition for the award. A separate ministry text, an order of June 23, 2025, creates an option called "Arboriste grimpeur" (climbing arborist) at level 4 of the national framework, aimed at pruning, bracing, felling and dismantling.

The SFA also reports on recognition abroad. Its page says the European Tree Worker is the European equivalent of the French certificate, that the French certificate is not systematically recognised abroad but may be accepted in some countries, notably French-speaking Switzerland, and that the European Tree Worker exam is no longer organised in France. On safety, the SFA describes decree no. 2021-1833 of December 24, 2021, in force from March 1, 2022: a written site sheet kept for 2 years, and for manual felling a safety perimeter with a radius of twice the tree height. The MSA notice that goes with that decree says the sheet applies to manual and mechanised felling and pruning in parks, gardens and along roads, rivers, railways and electrical structures, and that every pruning technique counts, from the ground, from a platform or from the tree. It names seven mandatory elements, among them a map or sketch of the site, the site-specific risks and safety measures, the accident procedure and the rescue instructions. Its format is free, it may be digital, and it is dated and signed by each firm head who works on the site.

Germany

ISA Germany describes itself as the German section of the International Society of Arboriculture, seated in Heidelberg, part of a network of 44 national sections, and lists tree care firms, expert witnesses, material makers, scientists and private persons among its ranks. Its goals include technical standards and international certification.

The Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe says it is the competent body under section 56 of the Berufsbildungsgesetz (Vocational Training Act) for the further-training exam "Geprüfter Fachagrarwirt Baumpflege" in Baden-Württemberg, under an ordinance that applies from January 1, 2021. It lists admission through a finished training as Forstwirt, Gärtner or Landwirt (forestry worker, gardener, farmer), or another recognised trade plus three years of practice, or five years of practice, in firms that mainly do tree care. The exam has three parts: tree diagnosis and tree care measures, business management, and staff leadership. Registration closes on November 30 of the year before the exam, and the page names a course of nearly one year at the Fachschule für Gartenbau in Heidelberg as the preparation.

The DGUV publication is a 28-page booklet, edition November 2018, which replaced the earlier number GUV-I 8624. The DGUV says it was agreed with the Sozialversicherung für Landwirtschaft, Forsten und Gartenbau (SVLFG) (agricultural, forestry and horticultural social insurance), and that the two bodies agreed to recognise each other's training on tree work in horticulture and the DGUV modules.

Italy

The Società Italiana di Arboricoltura says it was set up in 2002 by the Italian section of the ISA, which had been active in Italy since 1994. It calls itself an active partner of the European Arboricultural Council and a chapter of the ISA, and says members may choose to join the SIA alone at a different membership rate. Since 2014 it has published the journal Arbor, available to members only.

On certification, the SIA's page says the European Tree Worker and European Tree Technician are issued by the EAC after a theory and practical exam. The candidate faces a panel of certified national arborists plus a supervisor chosen by the EAC for the sitting. The European Tree Worker comes in two tracks, tree climbing and aerial platform, and the page describes the European Tree Technician as covering safety rules, mandatory pest control and the economic and contract side of tree care. For sittings in Italy, see the exam calendar in the European Tree Worker guide.

The Ministero del Lavoro e delle Politiche Sociali circular of February 13, 2025 replaces the annex to its circular n. 23 of July 22, 2016. It was drawn up with a technical working group that included the Ministry of Agriculture, INAIL, the regions, the national mountain guides' college and employer and union bodies. The annex says rope work on trees is allowed only where site and tree allow it and at least one listed condition applies, for example that access with other equipment such as an aerial platform is impossible. For cutting aloft it describes two separately anchored positioning systems, such as a work rope and a safety rope, and it describes pruning chainsaws under EN ISO 11681-2 as a lighter class, with a stated maximum mass of 4.3 kg without bar and chain and with empty tanks, that is not suited to felling. Training is tied to Annex XXI of Legislative Decree 81/2008, with separate courses for operators and supervisors.

The Netherlands

The Koninklijke VHG describes itself as the trade association of entrepreneurs in the green sector, and as a National Member of the EAC, which sets the European guidelines. Its page says European Tree Worker and European Tree Technician certificates are valid for a maximum of three years and then need recertification. A Regiegroep ETW/ETT (steering group) of the VHG, IPC Groene Ruimte and Praktijkcentrum Bomen sets the Dutch system. IPC Groene Ruimte and Praktijkcentrum Bomen are certified by the EAC to organise recertification in the Netherlands, and the VHG hosts a central agenda of activities that count towards it. A review committee approves courses and workshops for that agenda.

The Stigas catalogue is a workplace health and safety catalogue for the agricultural and green sectors. Its chainsaw page is marked as approved by the social partners and checked by the Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie (Dutch labour inspectorate). The measures it lists include working with a CE-marked machine, a demonstrable course or proven experience, not working alone, and using a top-handled saw only in the tree. The chainsaw page carries the version date October 4, 2026.

Norway

Norsk Trepleieforum says it wants to gather everyone with a professional or organisational tie to trees, and says it is a member of the ISA. Its pages state that the NTF works on a voluntary basis. Its ETW page lists the entry papers for the European Tree Worker exam: a first aid course taken within the last two years, documented rescue training, documented chainsaw training under the Arbeidstilsynet's rules, and a minimum of one year of tree care practice. The exam takes about 8 hours: a one-hour theory test of 30 multiple-choice and 10 written questions with a 50 percent pass mark, identification of 15 plant samples, an oral of about 20 minutes, two 20-minute demonstration or simulation parts, and a one-hour work climb.

The NTF's page on becoming an arborist names the two-year course at Fagskulen Vestland as the educational route in Norway for a working arborist, and sets the European Tree Worker as the practical certification beside the ISA Certified Arborist as the theory one. The school's page lists ten gatherings a year, 5 weeks of workplace practice in year one and 7 weeks in year two, and admission on finished upper-secondary education in lines such as natural resource use, farming or gardening, or on work experience for applicants aged 23 or over. The Arbeidstilsynet page says the employer is responsible for assessing the risk of equipment needing special care, and that workers need documented safety training before using it, with the record naming the worker, the equipment, the date and the trainer.

Poland

The Federacja Arborystów Polskich says it was founded in Wrocław, with its founding meeting on November 24, 2007, by practitioners and theorists who wanted better standards and work quality in relation to the natural environment. Its code of ethics, which members sign, includes a commitment to follow the safety procedures of the trade and to work within one's own professional competence.

Its European Tree Worker page lists an exam dated September 16 and 17, 2026, at the Arboretum in Kórnik, covering a rope-technique or aerial-lift variant. The page lists the entry requirements as valid first aid training, chainsaw training under national rules, and at least one year of practical tree care experience with climbing or lift skills, and says the right to hold the certificate lapses after three years unless renewed through a national centre. The FAP publications page also offers study papers, five brochures, among them ones on planting and pruning, and four forms, including a work order for tree work. The State Labour Inspection (Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy) has English pages, including how to report an accident.

The CIOP-PIB booklet is by Andrzej Dąbrowski of its safety technology department and was published under a multi-year programme on workplace safety. It says that in Poland about 90 percent of wood harvesting uses portable petrol chainsaws and that their use is the main cause of accidents in that work, and that about 80 percent of chainsaw accidents come from contact with the moving chain, especially in kickback. It says chainsaw operators should take special training that ends in a passed test, and that the specialised saws for tree care ("surgery") fall under the standard PN-EN ISO 11681-2:2009 and may be run only by suitably trained workers.

Spain

The Asociación Española de Arboricultura says it has promoted tree culture since 1995 and runs courses and lists a directory, a climbing championship and a magazine. Its menu offers insurance for tree workers and prevention services for arborists, and lists certifications for the European Tree Worker, the European Tree Technician and VETcert.

The AEA's event page says a European Tree Worker sitting is set for October 14 and 15, 2026, at the Institut d'Horticultura i Jardineria de Reus and the Parc Samà in Cambrils, with 20 national and international candidates, and that the AEA manages the certification for the EAC. The INSST published its two Notas Técnicas de Prevención (technical prevention notes) on tree pruning in 2018: NTP 1119, 12 pages, describes the problems of the work, its risks and the techniques and devices for doing it, and NTP 1120, 6 pages, covers rescue techniques, adapting basic work-at-height manoeuvres to pruning, other work equipment, equipment checks and training.