Seeing the forest for the trees – the multifunctional role of EU forests

Venue: European Parliament – Room JAN 6Q1, Brussels

Forests and the forest-based sector are recognised as essential players in responding to major societal expectations, such as those enshrined in Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement as well as the objectives of the European Green Deal. It is therefore important that all opportunities and challenges faced by the forest sector are taken into account in the policy debate on the future of forests and forestry in the EU.

In this context, the forestry sector welcomes the steps of European Parliament to elaborate an initiative report on EU forests and is taking crucial steps to raise awareness on the multiple benefits provided by forests in terms of economic, environmental and social values. Collaboration between policymakers, forest owners and managers as well as down-stream value chain and forestry research are crucial to optimize these benefits derived from sustainable forest management. A robust EU Forest Strategy post-2020 should play a central role to this end.

This joint event, hosted by MEP Petri Sarvamaa, provides an opportunity to present the multiple benefits of forests and to engage forest owners and managers into an open dialogue with the European policy and decision-makers as well as with other stakeholders involved in the European forest-based sector.

The discussion will focus on:

• Explaining the multifunctionality of forests based on the 3 pillars of sustainability (economic, environmental and social values) through concrete examples.
• Underlining the need for an EU holistic approach in light of diverse challenges and demands (the role of a post 2020 EU Forest Strategy).

Presentations

• Management of Multifunctional Forests – A difference that makes the difference
  Roland Kautz, Head of Executive Affairs, Corporate Communications and Corporate Development, Österreichischen Bundesforste (ÖBf), Austria
• Northern Sweden: Wood, stone age heritage, wetlands and reindeers as integral part of sustainable management choices
  Kerstin Dafnäs, President of The Black Woodpecker (the Swedish association of women forest owners)
• The multifunctional role of Croatian forests and tools to enhance this role in the future
  Robert Sambolek, President of the WP Private Forests – Croatian Chambers of Agriculture
• Montado Agroforestry – a multifunctional system
  Conceição Santos Silva, Coordinator of Research, Demonstration and Innovation – The Union of the Mediterranean Forest (UNAC), Portugal
• Slovenian insight on the multifunctional role of forests and promoting nature-base forestry
  Robert Režonja, Director-General, Forestry and Hunting Directorate, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of Slovenia

More information about the programme and registration