For Forest Group + of forested EU countries grows again as Italy and Latvia join in
For Forest + is a group that promotes the interests of the forested Member States in the EU. Now Italy and Latvia are also members, besides Austria, Finland, France, Slovenia and Sweden. The For Forest Group + held the first meeting in its new composition in Slovenia on 28–30 August 2025.
The key objective of the strategic For Forest + partnership is to develop cooperation on forest-related matters, share information on best practices and seek common positions on forest policy matters, all in alignment with sustainable management and use of forests. Austria, Finland, Slovenia and Sweden set up the For Forest Group in 2022. Last year a decision was made to supplement the core composition with new members, and France was the first to join in. Now Italy and Latvia are also members.
Representatives of the For Forest Group + met for the first time in the new composition of seven countries in Maribor, Slovenia at the end of last week. This year, the For Forest Group + is chaired by Slovenia. The agenda included discussions on the situation of the LULUCF sector in different countries and presentations by forest research institutes of the For Forest + countries on a joint policy recommendation for the sector. The topics also included the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, the Deforestation Regulation and its national implementation, and the Nature Restoration Regulation and nature value market.
“It is truly great that the group, initially composed of four core countries, has now grown even stronger. I wish Italy and Latvia most welcome to the group. Collaboration within the For Forest Group + has been highly productive, including in the efforts to influence the new Forest Monitoring Regulation. It is important that the messages of the forested EU Member States will continue to be heard loud and clear. I thank the Slovenian chairmanship for the good work it has done to promote our joint efforts and interests,” says Pekka Pesonen, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Besides Permanent Secretary Pesonen, Iina Mattila, Special Adviser to Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah, participated in the meeting. Finland’s participants to the meeting of the forest research institutes of the For Forest + countries were Johanna Buchert, President of the Natural Resources Institute Finland, and Programme Director Mikko Kurttila.
During Finland’s chairmanship in 2024 the ministers and representatives of the group’s member countries visited Finland to learn about Finnish forestry and forest industry, both at the processing plants and in the field.
Related links:
Ministers of forest-rich EU Member States gather for For Forest Group + meeting in Finland (Press release of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry 21 August 2024)
France joins For Forest Group + (Press release of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry 16 July 2024, in Finnish)
Inquiries:
Erno Järvinen
Senior Ministerial Adviser, Head of Forests and Bioenergy Unit
+358 295 162 150
[email protected]