The 10th FOREST EUROPE Ministerial Conference Reaffirms the Role of Sustainable Forest Management in Building a More Resilient Europe
15 / 07 / 2026
On 2 and 3 June, Stockholm hosted the 10th FOREST EUROPE Ministerial Conference, the leading pan-European political forum on forest policy. More than 130 participants, including ministers, state secretaries, policymakers, researchers and representatives of forestry organisations from over 30 European countries and the European Commission, attended this strategic meeting to help shape the future of Europe's forests.
Against a backdrop of climate change, biodiversity loss, increasingly severe wildfires, geopolitical tensions and the need to strengthen Europe's competitiveness, the conference highlighted that forests and the forest-based bioeconomy are essential assets for Europe's environmental, economic and social resilience.
Stockholm Ministerial Declaration
The conference's main political outcome was the adoption and signing of the Stockholm Ministerial Declaration, endorsed by the 31 signatories present. Under the theme "Sustainable Forests for Resilient Societies," the declaration reaffirms the commitment of European countries to Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) as the fundamental framework for addressing current and future challenges.
The declaration acknowledges that Europe's forests are facing growing pressures from climate change, extreme weather events, pests and other natural disturbances. In response, the signatory countries commit to strengthening forest adaptation, promoting adaptive forest management approaches and enhancing international cooperation to improve forest resilience.
The declaration also highlights the importance of maintaining a balance between the environmental, social and economic functions of forests, while ensuring the sustainable supply of renewable raw materials, conserving biodiversity and supporting the forestry sector's contribution to Europe's climate objectives.
Recognising the strategic role of the forestry sector
Throughout the conference, political leaders and experts discussed the major challenges facing Europe's forests, including climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, wildfire prevention, shortages of skilled labour, and the opportunities created by innovation, digitalisation and the growing use of wood in construction. Discussions also explored the role of forests in strengthening the security and resilience of European societies, as well as the future of sustainable forest management.
A clear message emerged from these discussions: the need to strengthen cooperation among countries and develop forest policies grounded in scientific evidence, capable of addressing today's challenges while maintaining a long-term strategic vision for Europe's forests.
The signatories to the Stockholm Ministerial Declaration committed to strengthening forest adaptation, promoting adaptive management approaches and enhancing international cooperation to improve forest resilience.
Representatives of several forestry organisations and the wood industry also used the conference to emphasise that sustainably managed forests are indispensable for achieving Europe's objectives in climate action, biodiversity, the circular economy, housing and the bioeconomy. They further stressed that a predictable and sustainable supply of wood is essential to accelerate the replacement of fossil-based materials and support the transition towards a climate-neutral economy.
In this context, USSE, together with several partner organisations, signed a joint declaration presented during the conference.
The conference also reaffirmed that Sustainable Forest Management remains the shared reference framework for balancing the conservation of forest ecosystems with the sustainable production of forest goods and services.
More than three decades of pan-european cooperation
Since its establishment in 1990, FOREST EUROPE has become the leading pan-European political process dedicated to forests. It currently brings together 45 signatory countries, the European Union, and numerous observer countries and organisations. Its work has been instrumental in developing the European concept of Sustainable Forest Management and the criteria and indicators that now serve as international benchmarks.
The Stockholm Conference also marked the beginning of a new institutional chapter, with Albania assuming the FOREST EUROPE Presidency from 1 January 2027, ensuring the continuation of this pan-European forest cooperation process.
An opportunity to strengthen the voice of private forest owners
For the Union of Southern European Foresters (USSE), the conclusions of the Stockholm Ministerial Conference send a positive signal. The explicit recognition of Sustainable Forest Management, the need to strengthen forest resilience and the importance of ensuring a competitive forest-based bioeconomy are closely aligned with many of the priorities advocated by Europe's private forest owners.
At a time when forests are expected to meet increasingly demanding environmental, economic and social expectations simultaneously, the pan-European cooperation fostered by FOREST EUROPE remains a key instrument for developing balanced, science-based forest policies that deliver tangible results for forest owners, forest managers and society as a whole.
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