The Commission’s Strategic Guidelines 2024-2029

During the Strasbourg plenary meetings in July, President Ursula von der Leyen has been re-elected as Chair of the European Commission. During her speech in the Parliament, she spoke about what her priorities will be during the next mandate, based on the Political Guidelines that the Commission drafted called Europe’s Choice.

A few topics seem especially relevant for the forestry sector:

1. Climate targets 2040 – a road to it
   The EU has pledged to reduce carbon emissions with 90% by 2040, compared to 1990 levels, and forests will have a big role to play to reach this target.  The Climate targets 2040 will be reviewed again during the upcoming term.
   EUSTAFOR has given feedback to the Commission on how to best utilize our natural resources. As referred to in our new manifesto, forests can contribute to reaching the targets by storage, sequestration and substitution of carbon. This will play a major role in the coming years.
2. Bio- & circular economy
   Prosperity and competitiveness have been explicitly mentioned in President Von der Leyen’s speech, as well as implementation of the Green Deal. In March, the new Biomanufactoring & Biotechnology initiative was presented by the Commission, and in 2025 the Bioeconomy Strategy will be updated. In order to stimulate marketing of biotechnology, a new Biotech Act will be proposed in 2025 as well.
   The New European Bauhaus, an initiative launched four years ago, will be enlarged during the new term to create energy-efficient and affordable housing in the EU.
   The focus on bioeconomy and the Bauhaus offers opportunities for innovation and up-scaling in the forestry & timber sector. It will be a focus point for EUSTAFOR to promote active, multi-functional forestry and responsible utilization of our forest resources.
3. Research and innovation
   In the light of competitiveness, the Commission will increase their research spending to focus more strategic priorities, fundamental research and disruptive innovation. To do so, the European Research Council and the European Innovation Council will be expanded.
4. Addressing the skills and labor gaps
   To keep the competitive edge, the Commission also wants to invest in tackling the skills and labor gap. This is a welcomed priority for our rapidly changing and digitizing sector. A Union of Skills will be established to achieve this goal, as well as several strategic plans and budget increases.
   It is yet unclear what the new plans in policy entail, but EUSTAFOR will keep a sharp eye on the developments, as skilled labor is always in high demand within forestry and in a rapidly changing industry the focus will shift from practical to analytical skills.
5. Sustaining quality of life
   Another focus point will be quality of life. Although this is a broad topic ranging form nature protection to water security, President Von der Leyen specifically mentions climate adaptation and forest fires. Active forest management will be crucial to address these topics. Part of the strategy to anticipate these challenges is the creation of a European Climate Adaptation plan.
   Forest fires remain an everlasting concern in the majority of EU member states, and prevention and well coordinated responses should be a priority for the EU.

The Commission’s Political Guidelines line up well with EUSTAFOR’s Strategy and Vision for 2024 and beyond. For example, Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) and multi-functional use of the forests can contribute to the climate targets through carbon sequestration, storage and substitution, while simultaneously stimulating the bioeconomy and energy transition. In turn, a strong bioeconomy and secure supply of raw materials increases the EU’s competitiveness on the world market. The forest resources can be used for construction material, in the New Bauhaus Project, but also as substitute to fossil-based materials such as plastics and polymers. The SFM approach will also benefit the fifth point, sustaining quality of life. Smart and active forest management will help with the prevention of high intensity forest fires and will increase the water retention in the landscape.
In order to realize these ambitions and maximize the positive impact that the forest sector can have, investing in skills and education is paramount. Research institutes and and SMEs should have the incentive, freedom and resources to innovate, upscale and drive our economy forwards. We therefore welcome the Commission’s ambition to make a healthy, sustainable and bio-based society a reality.