In its new manifesto, EUSTAFOR explains its vision for European forests 2024 and beyond and how we have to balance the many services forests provide. European state forests are one of the most diverse and biodiversity-rich habitats in Europe. They provide employment opportunities and other social services to both rural and urban communities, acting as major contributors to the development of rural areas. Forests also have a cultural role to play in our society, as they are a place for recreation, spirituality, and relaxation for millions of European citizens.
Moreover, the European state forests mitigate climate change in multiple ways, not only through carbon sequestration and storage in both living forests and forest soils, but also through carbon substitution: forestry is a major driver for the bioeconomy, offering climate friendly and renewable raw materials that is an alternative to fossil and energy intensive products.
In order to maximise the impact that European forests can have in all these areas, proactive and research-driven forest management is essential. With their expertise and resources, our 39 members are continuously working on finding the best balance in their day-to-day management and EUSTAFOR aims to transmit this knowledge to both international and EU levels. Therefore, we want to share the following proposals with the EU policy makers:
- Encourage proactive forest management, coordinated on a national level
- Encourage research and innovation of bioeconomy products
- Utilise the expertise and opportunities that state forest organisations offer to develop best practices in biodiversity protection
- Rely on forest expertise and stakeholder engagement for forest-related policy making
Read the full brochure to learn more about EUSTAFOR’s 2024+ vision!
