IEFC General Assembly Brings Together Its European Network in Le Mans to Address the Future of Planted Forests

15 / 07 / 2026

The Annual General Assembly of the European Institute for Planted Forest (IEFC), of which the Basque Forestry Association (USSE) is a member, was recently held in Le Mans, France, as part of the organisation’s annual meeting, which took place on 30 June and 1 July.

The event was centred around a technical seminar on the main planted forests in Europe, with the aim of providing a comparative overview of their extent, management models, profitability, ecosystem services, challenges and opportunities. Throughout the seminar, experts presented experiences and analyses from several countries, including Portugal, Spain, France, Great Britain, Ireland and Germany, addressing issues such as climate change adaptation, the management of productive tree species, forest health risks, biodiversity, and the transformation of forest stands towards more resilient management models.

The Iberian perspective featured prominently in the programme. Presentations covered the management of eucalyptus plantations in Portugal, the main challenges facing planted forests in Spain, and a dedicated session on the management and challenges of planted forests in the Basque Country, delivered by NEIKER. In addition, the short communications session provided an opportunity to share projects related to forest databases, productivity, forest diseases, risks associated with wind, drought and bark beetles, and innovation in forest planting materials.

The IEFC General Assembly also provided an opportunity to review the organisation’s recent activities, including the presentation of its main achievements during the 2024–2025 period, networking and capacity-building initiatives, ongoing projects, communication and publication activities, as well as the approval of the 2025 financial statements and the 2026 budget.

Among the initiatives presented were projects on biodiversity indicators for planted forests, artificial intelligence tools for the identification of poplar pests, and trials assessing the effectiveness of hydrogels in chestnut plantations.

The programme concluded on 1 July with a technical field visit focusing on practical experiences related to poplar cultivation, the timber industry and forest adaptation. The visit included a poplar trial site in Laigné-Saint-Gervais, the DROUIN factory, and the REINFFORCE arboretum in Monceaux-au-Perche, where participants attended a demonstration on the installation of microdendrometers.

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