10th Forest Europe Ministerial Conference brought European ministers responsible for forests, high-level officials and forest stakeholders to Stockholm on 2–3 June 2026

More than 130 participants, including ministers, state secretaries, policymakers, researchers, international organisations, observer organisations and forest-sector representatives from over 30 countries, gathered in Stockholm on 2–3 June 2026 for the Tenth FOREST EUROPE Ministerial Conference. President Juha Niemelä and Executive Director Piotr Borkowski represented EUSTAFOR at this event.

The conference, hosted by Swedish Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren, current Chair of the FOREST EUROPE process, highlighted the importance of continued cooperation and a shared commitment to Sustainable Forest Management across Europe. Within eight high-level panels, discussions addressed some of the most pressing challenges facing Europe’s forests today: climate change, biodiversity loss, wildfires, workforce shortages, innovation, wood construction, geopolitical preparedness and the future of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM).

Juha Niemela delivered a Statement in which EUSTAFOR welcomed the overarching theme of the Stockholm Conference and underlined the role of state forest management organisations in fulfilling multiple objectives and expectations set by other policy sectors and by society at large through daily implementation of the political commitments endorsed by FOREST EUROPE over the last three decades. EUSTAFOR also supported further refining and developing the SFM concept, its principles and tools, among others, the pan-European Criteria and Indicators for SFM and the State of Europe’s Forest Report as a framework to monitor, assess and report on the European forests.

The Ministers signed the Stockholm Ministerial Declaration “Sustainable Forests for Resilient Societies” through which they ensured further development of the concept of sustainable and multifunctional forestry in the pan-European region and provided important foundations to restructure the FOREST EUROPE process in the years to come.

The conference proved that in a time of significant social, political and economic shifts, Forest Europe continues to serve as a vital platform for cooperation that provides relevant solutions, including through initiatives such as FoRISK and EUFORGEN, while supporting the recovery and sustainable management of Ukrainian forests.

Forest Europe has played the leading role in defining Sustainable Forest Management for over three decades. The Swedish Presidency will continue in the process towards the end of 2026, to be subsequently handed over to Albania. The latter country was unanimously approved as the next leading country in the FOREST EUROPE process.

More about the ministerial documents can be found under this link.

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