The For Forest+ group, which unites countries with rich forest resources, contributes to strengthening their position in the European Union. The group includes ministers and representatives from Austria, France, Slovenia and Sweden, who visited Finland on August 20-21, 2024 at the invitation of the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Sari Essay. During the meeting, the strategy of influencing the proposal of the European Commission on forest monitoring was discussed, as well as an exchange of experience with the Finnish forest industry.
The main goal of the For Forest+ strategic partnership is to develop cooperation in the field of forests, exchange best practices and form common positions on forest policy issues in order to ensure sustainable management and use of forests. This year, Finland acts as the chairman of the For Forest+ group.
The visit to Finland included representatives from different countries: the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security of France Marc Fenos, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of Slovenia Mateja Calusic, the Minister of Agriculture of Sweden Peter Kullgren, as well as the representative of the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Regional development and water management of Austria Norbert Totschnig - head of the department for forests and regions Elfrieda Moser. The main topics of discussion were the development of EU policies affecting the forest sector and the coordination of joint approaches to the regulation of forest monitoring.
Minister Essaya expressed the importance of joint influence on the EU, especially in light of the preparation of the Commission's new work program and the appointment of new members of the European Parliament. Also during the visit, a presentation was made by the head of the scientific panel of forest biotechnology, director of the National Research Center for Natural Resources, Antti Asikainen, who spoke about the prospects for the growth of forests in Finland and the EU.
During the visit, the participants also visited the Metsä Group plant in Lohja, where they learned about the processing of wood into high-quality, responsible carbon-conserving products, and in Nurmijärvi - biodiversity conservation projects, where they also planted spruce seedlings.
For Forest+, which started operations in 2022 with four countries, recently expanded with the entry of France on July 16, 2024, and continues discussions on further expansion of the group.
