EU forest strategy expands to entire forest-based sector

3 September 2012

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The EU has no uniform forest policy, as Member States retain primary decision-making authority in forest-related issues. However, the intention is to expand the existing EU strategy, which applies only to forestry, to the entire forest-based sector, says the Finnish Forest Industries Federation.

The continued right of Member States to decide on how their forests are utilised must be safeguarded when the strategy is revised.

A working group reporting to the Commission's Standing Forestry Committee has finished drafting its proposal regarding the forest strategy. The revision of the strategy forms part of a more extensive EU set of forest-related measures (the so-called forest package), which is planned to incorporate, among other things, aspects of the Commission Communication on improving the competitiveness of the forest industry.

The goul set by the Commission to finish preparing the forest strategy is spring 2013.