EU Forest Strategy 2030 - Progress and challenges near the halfway mark

The EU Forest Strategy for 2030, a key component of the European Green Deal, aims to strengthen the protection, restoration, and resilience of forests across the EU. Forests play a critical role as carbon sinks, as well as preserving biodiversity, and supporting ecosystems. Enhancing their resilience and diversity is essential for better managing environmental challenges and adapting to climate change.The strategy includes a mix of regulatory, financial, and voluntary measures for 2021-2030, focusing on forests' multifunctional role. Key actions involve promoting sustainable forest management, increasing forest size and biodiversity by planting 3 billion trees by 2030, and offering financial incentives for forest owners and managers to adopt environmentally friendly practices. And currently under review by the European Parliament and the Council is the introduction of regulation on EU forest monitoring, reporting, and data collection.Listen to this Euractiv Virtual Conference to reflect on the EU Forest Strategy for 2030 and assess its progress as it nears the halfway point.Questions to be addressed include:- As the halfway mark approaches, what are the key achievements of the EU Forest Strategy so far, and where does it fall short?- Have member states aligned their efforts, or are there significant disparities in implementation? Which countries have seen the most success, and why?- How have forest owners, managers, and the broader forest industry responded to the strategy? Are the financial incentives and support measures sufficient to enable them to adopt environmentally friendly practices?- Has the planting of 3 billion new trees by 2030 progressed as planned, and what challenges remain in achieving this goal?Life Terra is co-financed by the European Commission through the LIFE Programme (LIFE19 CCM/NL/001200).The content of this publication represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The Agency does not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.