Felling licences Unlike Ireland, felling licences are not required in Sweden, Germany and France. In the Walloon region of Belgium, no felling licence is required for thinning or clearfelling less than 3ha for hardwoods and 5ha for softwoods. Larger areas require a permit which takes a minimum of 30 days. In Flanders, a felling licence is required which takes 60 days for approval. All countries have a flexible approach towards private forest owners, especially those with small forests. In France, private owners with less than 25ha have the option to submit sustainable forest management plans (FMPs) on a voluntary basis or they can combine to submit a collective plan.