Özdemir: Europe is working together more closely on forest protection
European body for the protection of forests set up in Bonn
European States aim to work together even more closely on forest protection. At the ninth Ministerial Conference of Forest Europe, a pan-European forest policy process at minister level, the 44 Member States and the EU Commission agreed to establish a central advisory facility in order to pool expertise and research results on the protection of forests against damage arising from the climate crisis and to provide the best advice possible to affected States.
Germany will provide a total of 1.2 million euros to fund the “Forest Risk Facility” (FoRISK Facility), initially until 2030. The facility is located in Bonn. The ministers also decided to continue developing and strengthening pan-European cooperation on implementing sustainable forest management. After four years chairing Forest Europe, Germany is now handing over this role to Sweden.
Federal Minister Cem Özdemir said, "Europe is working closer together to protect our forests! That is an important signal that this conference is sending. Neither the climate crisis nor our forests stop at national borders - that is why we need international solutions; that is why Forest Europe is so important! The new Forest Risk Facility will enable us to pool and access knowledge even more efficiently in future. Let us not forget that forests are our best allies in the fight against the climate crisis, but are at the same time hit particularly hard by the impact of this crisis. We need to strengthen our forests to make them more resilient, for example to heat and increasing drought. Only climate-resilient forests will in the future still be able to store carbon and provide us with timber, a valuable building material. I am delighted that, with Sweden, another forest-rich country is taking over the chair of Forest Europe and I wish my colleague every success in this task."
The FoRISK Facility is conceived to be a network of experts and to function as a permanent contact point for partners and initiatives. It is intended to strengthen cross-border cooperation in dealing with forest risks such as storms, forest fire sand insects. It is also set to serve as a platform for the development of practical guidelines and political strategies as well as for advisory activities in the field of disaster risk management.
Background information:
Forest Europe is a pan-European forest-policy process at minister level for developing guidelines, criteria and indicators for sustainable forestry management. Further information here.
At the 9th ministerial conference, which was held under the motto of “Shaping our future with resilient forests”, ministers of the signatory States joined the European Commission and high-ranking representatives of over 50 observer organisations and countries to discuss topics such as the resilience of forests, sustainable forest management and the inclusion of youth.
During its time as chair, the BMEL also launched the initiative on restoring and sustainably managing Ukraine’s forests and forestry sector. Further information here.