European forest ministers reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable forest management and its development

Ministers responsible for forest affairs in Europe signed a declaration on the development of sustainable forest management and decided to set up a facility that will focus on anticipating and managing the risks to forests. The declaration was signed by 35 Member States and supported by more than 20 observer organisations. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah represented Finland at the Conference, held in Bonn, Germany on 1–2 October 2024.

Forest Europe (Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe) is a pan-European voluntary high-level policy process that was launched in 1990. Among the achievements of the Conference are the principles for sustainable forest management that take the different dimensions of sustainability into account. These pan-European criteria and indicators have had a key role in the implementation of the principles of sustainable forest management at the national level.

At the Conference held in Bonn on 1–2 October, the Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to promoting sustainable forest management and further developing the criteria and indicators. The constant change in the environment where the forest sector operates and growing societal demands concerning the use of forests require collaboration between countries to ensure that the solutions offered by forests can be utilised for the benefit of societies.

“Forests are important for us as a diverse source of wellbeing and a significant renewable resource. As the demand for natural resources keeps growing, the role of forests as a renewable natural resource is becoming even more prominent. We must make sure that our forests stay healthy, viable and productive, also in the future,” Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah said in her speech. The Minister also spoke about Finland’s National Forest Strategy 2035 that sets out the main outlines of the Finnish forest policy.

Cooperation to strengthen resilience of forests and forest sector increased

Climate change is expected to increase the risks associated with the health of forests. The impacts of pests, diseases, storms and forest fires do not stop at national borders. This is why managing the risks and responding to damages require closer coordination and cooperation across Europe.

The Conference decided on setting up the Forest Risk Facility to support the management of risks across the sectors and national borders through sustainable forest management. The aim is to strengthen the resilience of forests against the changing climate conditions and their impacts.

In her speech Minister Essayah stressed the need for collaboration between countries and increased exchange of information in the anticipation and management of risks to forests. She spoke about Finland’s experiences in sustainable and climate-resilient forest management. This comprises both climate change mitigation by means of forests and the carbon sequestered and stored in their soil and the adaptation of forests to changing climate conditions.

The flagship publication of Forest Europe, the State of Europe’s Forests report, will come out next year. The report will provide comprehensive information on the status and trends in forests and forestry in the pan-European region, based on the criteria for sustainable forest management. The report is in particular intended to support political decision-making.

Germany has chaired the Forest Europe Ministerial Conference since 2021. From the beginning of 2025 the process will be led by Sweden.

Press release by Forest Europe

Inquiries:

Tapio Luoma-aho
Special Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry
firstname.lastname@gov.fi
+358 50 472 7040

Erno Järvinen
Senior Ministerial Adviser, Head of Forests and Bioeconomy Unit
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+ 358 295 162 150

Tiina Rytilä
Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
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+ 358 295 162 261