Barents Forest Sector Working Group

The Barents Forest Sector Working Group WGBFS was set up under the Barents Euro-Arctic Council BEAC in 2000. Previously, this working group was known as the Barents Forest Sector Network.

Finland held the Chairmanship of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council and the Barents Forest Sector Working Group under it from October 2021 until October 2023. The most important event during Finland’s two-year Chairmanship was the Barents Forest Forum, which will take place on October 4–5, 2023 in Rovaniemi. In addition to this, the Forest Sector Working Group met many times a year.

The forest sector is a critical part of the economic, social and environmental development of the Barents Region. The main objectives of the working group are to promote the sustainable management and use of forest resources in accordance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN Forest Strategy and the Paris Agreement, and to monitor and promote the activities of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council. The key elements of the Working Group’s activities include exchange of information and sharing of best practices concerning the forest bioeconomy.

Finland’s representatives in the Forest Sector Working Group are the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Natural Resources Institute Finland and the Finnish Forest Centre.

Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the European Union gave a joint statement regarding Barents Euro-Arctic cooperation on 9 March 2022. Finland will continue its Presidency of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council in accordance with the priorities adopted earlier. The focus of the collaboration will be on actions between Finland, Sweden and Norway in the northern counties.

Related links

Barents Euro-Arctic Cooperation
Barents Forest Sector Working Group
Barents cooperaton (Ministry for Foreign Affairs)
Joint Statement of Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the European Union regarding Barents Euro-Arctic cooperation (Ministry for Foreign Affairs)