26 September 2024
Updates

On 26 September 2024, the Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF), in collaboration with Copa Cogeca, Eustafor and ELO , organised an event titled "Multifunctional Forests and Their Role in Supporting EU Strategic Objectives" at the premises of the EESC in Brussels. The event was hosted by the  European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). It  gathered around 140 participants and brought together key stakeholders to discuss the crucial role of forests in advancing EU objectives on biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable bioeconomy

The event’s agenda included opening speeches by prominent figures, such as Peter Schmidt, President of the NAT Section of EESC, Ferenc Lakatos, Chair of the Council Working Party on Forestry, from the Hungarian Presidency, Marina Brakalova from the Cabinet of European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, and MEP Elsi Katainen, MEP from the Renew Group. These speakers highlighted the significance of forests in supporting the EU's long-term strategies, including climate goals and rural development.

Following the opening statements, two key sessions of the event were introduced by  Prof. Tudor Stăncioiu, Professor at the Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering at the Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania, who set the scene for the overall guiding question: “what do we want and need from EU forest?”. The two sessions addressed the major topics:

  1. Opportunities and Challenges for EU forests to contribute to climate and biodiversity Objectives through developing sustainable bioeconomy: Experts in this session discussed how sustainable bioeconomy can be leveraged to achieve the EU’s goals on environment, climate and biodiversity. This session hosted lively discussions by speakers from the European Commission’s DG AGRI, the Portuguese Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, the national Polish Forest Service, Lasy Państwowe, the Confederation of European Paper Industries(Cepi),  and the European Organisation of Agricultural, Rural and Forestry Contractors (CEETTAR).

     

  2. Proposal for a Regulation on forest monitoring framework: already available information, gaps and needs: This session focused on the current developments around the proposal for a forest monitoring framework, including risks, opportunities and challenges. Insightful discussions were held in this session between speakers from the European Commission’s DG Environement, the Estonian ministry of Climate, WWF, the European Forest Institute( EFI), and the Austrian Land and Forest Owners Association.
Picture event

The event concluded with an evening networking session, allowing participants to further explore collaborations and exchange ideas. The discussions throughout the day reinforced the importance of multifunctional forest management in shaping a sustainable future for Europe’s forests and rural areas.