The European Union and forests

As the Treaties make no specific reference to forests, the European Union does not have a common forestry policy. Therefore, it remains primarily a national competence. However, the EU has established a European forest strategy and supports many actions that have a significant impact on forests in the EU and in non-EU countries.

What is a forest? This appears to be a simple question, but there is no one answer valid for all Member States. Nevertheless, for the purposes of international forestry statistics, Eurostat follows a classification scheme set up by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and applies the following definition: a forest is land with tree crown cover (or equivalent stocking level) of more than 10% and an area of more than 0.5 hectares. The trees should be able to reach a minimum height of 5 metres at maturity in situ.

The European forest landscape: a mosaic largely shaped by humans

Taking the definition given above, there are 160 million hectares of forest (4% of the world’s total) in the EU. In total, forests cover 39% of the EU’s land area and the six Member States with the largest forest areas (Sweden, Finland, Spain, France, Germany, and Poland) account for two thirds of the EU’s forested areas. Forest coverage varies considerably from one Member State to another: while forests in Finland, Sweden, and Slovenia cover nearly 60% of the country, the equivalent figure is only 9.9% in the Netherlands. In absolute terms, the countries with the largest forest areas are, in order, Sweden, Finland and Spain. Moreover, unlike in many parts of the world where deforestation is still a major problem, in the EU the area of land covered by forests is growing – according to Eurostat’s forestry statistics, by 2022, forest coverage had increased by approximately 8 million hectares since 2000, as a result of both natural growth and afforestation work. In its 2023 briefing on the state of European forests, the European Environment Agency noted that recent management practices had led to about 42% of forests exhibiting improvements in deadwood volume, forest area, biomass volume and productivity. The FAO’s 2020 global forests assessment indicated that most of the forests in Europe had management plans.

The EU has many different types of forests, reflecting its geoclimatic diversity (boreal forests, alpine forests with conifers, etc.). Where they are located depends on the climate, soil, altitude and topography of a given area. According to various sources, it is estimated that only around 2-4% of forested areas are considered ‘primeval’ or ‘old-growth’ forests, which means they have not been modified by human intervention. Another small share of EU forests consists of plantations, while the large majority (more than 90%) falls into the category of ‘semi-natural’ forests, i.e. neither undisturbed by human intervention nor plantations but with some characteristics of natural ecosystems. The majority of European forests are privately owned (approximately 60% of forested land) rather than publicly owned (40%).

Basic data on EU forests (EU-27, 2020)

Source: Eurostat and the Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development

Forestry policy and initiatives in the EU: coherence is the key

As the Treaties make no specific reference to forests, the EU does not have a common forestry policy. Therefore, it is still primarily a national matter. However, many EU measures do have an impact on forests in EU and non-EU countries alike. Moreover, to ensure cooperation in the forestry sector between the Member States and the Commission and forestry support measures initiated at EU level, Council Decision 89/367/EEC of 29 May 1989 set up a Standing Forestry Committee. Amendments to the 1989 Council Decision proposed by the Commission are being examined by the co-legislators, as is a Commission proposal for a monitoring framework for resilient European forests.

A. The EU biodiversity and forest strategies for 2030

In 2021, the Commission adopted a new EU forest strategy for 2030, which is one of the flagship initiatives of the European Green Deal and builds on the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030.

The EU forest strategy for 2030 is aimed at adapting Europe’s forests to the new conditions, weather extremes and considerable uncertainty brought about by climate change. This is a precondition for forests to continue to fulfil their environmental and socioeconomic functions. The forest strategy will contribute to achieving the EU’s biodiversity targets, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and achieving climate neutrality by 2050. It recognises the central and multifunctional role of forests and the contribution of all forestry stakeholders and the entire forest-based value chain to achieving a sustainable and climate-neutral economy by 2050 and to preserving lively and prosperous rural communities.

The EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 provides for the expansion of protected areas (30% of all land and sea areas in the EU, 10% to be strictly protected), which should expand the protection of European forests and include the planting of 3 billion trees. As part of the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 on nature restoration sets binding targets to restore degraded ecosystems, especially those with the most potential to capture and store carbon and to prevent and reduce the impact of natural disasters.

To support the development of biodiversity-friendly practices sought by the biodiversity strategy for 2030, the EU’s programme for the environment and climate action (LIFE 2021-2027, Regulation (EU) 2021/783) supports projects on ‘closer to nature forestry’ practices, i.e., practices that try to achieve management objectives with the minimum necessary human intervention and combine conservation with productivity objectives.

In addition to actions stemming from the EU biodiversity and forest strategies, it is worth mentioning that 23% of European forests are part of the Natura 2000 nature protection network, representing around 50% of the area of Natura 2000 sites set up under the EU’s environmental policy.

B. The common agricultural policy (CAP): the main source of EU funds for forests

Some 90% of EU funding for forests comes from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) (3.2.2).

During the 2007-2013 programming period, approximately EUR 5.4 billion was allocated from the EAFRD budget to co-finance forestry measures. During the CAP 2014-2020 programming period, some EUR 8.2 billion in public expenditure was programmed (27% for reforestation, 18% to make forests more resilient and 18% for damage prevention). A single specific measure included all types of support for investment in forests (investment in the development of forested areas and improvement of the viability of forests). Another measure was intended to provide rewards for forestry, environmental and climate services and the conservation of forests, while provision was also made for other measures not specific to forestry (Natura 2000 and Water Framework Directive payments, for example). A 2019 evaluation of forestry measures notes a significant EU added value in the budget for forestry made available by such measures, which would not otherwise have existed.

For the current CAP programming period (2023-2027), forest interventions are included in the strategic plans drawn up by Member States under Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 (CAP Strategic Plans Regulation) (3.2.4). The Commission’s 2023 summary of CAP strategic plans remarks that national plans acknowledge the role of multifunctional and sustainable forest management, but forestry support is not at their core. Dedicated financial support stands at only EUR 4.2 billion, because Member States tend to address the forestry sector through other means (e.g. State aid and national forest funds), and some plans are not explicit on support.

C. Other EU measures in support of forests

The marketing of forest reproductive material (FRM) is regulated at EU level by Council Directive 1999/105/EC. FRM refers to seeds, plants and parts of plants of tree species that are used for new forests and for other types of tree planting. New rules on the planting of FRM were announced in the 2022 Commission work programme with the aim of aligning them with the political objectives of the European Green Deal and the new EU forest strategies. On 5 July 2023, the Commission tabled a legislative proposal on the production and marketing of forest reproductive material. The co-legislators are examining the Commission’s proposal. The 2025 Commission work programme places this initiative under its first priority – ‘A new plan for Europe’s sustainable prosperity and competitiveness’.

The EU Plant Health Law (adopted in 2016 and last revised in 2024 through Regulation (EU) 2024/3115) provides effective measures for the protection of the Union’s territory and its plants. It also aims to ensure safe trade, as well as to mitigate the impacts of climate change on the health of crops and forests. The EU also helps fund forest research, in particular under the Horizon Europe programme.

In the energy policy sphere, the EU has set itself the legally binding target of meeting 32% of total energy consumption from renewable energy sources by 2030, which increases the importance of forestry biomass (Renewable Energy Directive (EU) 2018/2001). On 30 March 2023, a provisional agreement was reached between Parliament and the Council for a binding target of at least 42.5% by 2030, but aiming for 45%. Moreover, under EU cohesion policy, forestry projects (fire prevention, renewable energy production, climate-change preparations, etc.) can be co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund. The Solidarity Fund (Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002) seeks to help Member States tackle major natural disasters, such as storms and forest fires. As for the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism (Decision No 1313/2013/EU), this can be deployed when a crisis outstrips a Member State’s ability to cope, as has happened with some forest fires and storms.

The European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) monitors forest fires. The EU also encourages ecological tendering (COM(2008)0400), which may promote demand for sustainably produced timber. What is more, the EU Ecolabel has been awarded for wood flooring, furniture and paper. In addition, the EU action plan on forest law enforcement, governance and trade (FLEGT) provides for voluntary partnership agreements with timber-producing countries and a regulation to ban the marketing of illegally harvested timber, which came into force in March 2013 (Regulation (EU) No 995/2010).

D. International initiatives

The EU also participates in numerous international activities relating to forests (in particular, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).

Forest Europe, the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe, is still the main political initiative on forests at pan-European level. It develops common strategies for its 45 signatories (44 European countries and the EU) on how to protect and sustainably manage their forests.

As part of its policy on climate change, in addition to its participation in global negotiations on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the EU has taken its first steps towards integrating agriculture and forestry into its climate policy with Regulation (EU) 2018/841 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) in the 2030 climate and energy framework. The LULUCF Regulation was amended in April 2023 (Regulation (EU) 2023/839) to determine a new 2030 target in line with the European Green Deal. In particular, the objective is to expand EU carbon sinks by 15%, corresponding to 310 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. In May 2023, a Commission guidance document aided Member States in aligning land use, forestry and agriculture with updated national energy and climate plans, ensuring compliance with revised regulations.

The EU also set itself the objective of halting the loss of global forest cover by 2030 at the latest and reducing tropical deforestation by at least 50% by 2020 (COM(2008)0645). On 23 June 2023, the Regulation on deforestation-free products entered into force (Regulation (EU) 2023/1115); it will apply from 30 December 2025 (or from 30 June 2026 in certain cases). This Regulation aims to guarantee that the products EU citizens consume do not contribute to deforestation or forest degradation worldwide.

Role of the European Parliament

The European Parliament legislates on an equal footing with the Council in a great many fields that affect forests (particularly farming and the environment, etc.) under the ordinary legislative procedure. Moreover, Parliament adopts the EU budget jointly with the Council.

It has influenced many items of legislation with an impact on forests. Parliament has long called in its resolutions for increased coordination and coherence between the instruments with an impact on European forests. The first EU forestry strategy was adopted on 15 December 1998 thanks to Parliament’s resolution of 31 January 1997, which called on the Commission to present proposals for a European forestry strategy.

In July 2019, the Commission issued a communication entitled ‘Stepping up EU action to protect and restore the world’s forests’ (COM(2019)0352). In its resolution of 15 January 2020 on the European Green Deal, Parliament welcomed the Commission’s intention to tackle global deforestation and asked it to step up its actions and to present a new, ambitious EU forest strategy to give appropriate recognition to the important, multifunctional and cross-cutting role that European forests, the sector and sustainable forest management play in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. Against that backdrop, Parliament decided to draw up two non-legislative own-initiative reports: one on stepping up EU action to protect and restore the planet’s forests (European Parliament resolution of 16 September 2020 on the EU’s role in protecting and restoring the world’s forests), and the other on the new European forestry strategy (European Parliament resolution of 8 October 2020 on the European Forest Strategy – The Way Forward). In connection with the former, Parliament also adopted a legislative own-initiative report on global deforestation (European Parliament resolution of 22 October 2020 on global deforestation with recommendations to the Commission on an EU legal framework to halt and reverse EU-driven global deforestation). Lastly, on 13 September 2022, Parliament adopted a resolution on a new EU Forest Strategy for 2030 – Sustainable Forest Management in Europe, which responds to the new EU forest strategy for 2030 adopted by the Commission in 2021.

 

Rachele Rossi

10-2025