Tuesday 2^nd April 2024, 13:15 – 15:00 CET 

European Parliament (Room ASP 3H1) & online

Co-hosted by MEP Juozas Olekas

&

MEP Michaela Šojdrová

REGISTRATION:

Only online participation is possible for this event, please register here.

European forests are crucial as they provide multiple benefits, including carbon sink and storage, biodiversity, wood as sustainable raw material, a place for recreation, clean water, cultural heritage and jobs in rural areas. Yet there’s a lack of comprehensive knowledge around them. Towards this direction, the European Commission proposed a forest monitoring law to develop an EU-wide forest observation framework that provides open access to detailed, accurate, regular and timely information on the condition and management of EU forests, and on the many products and ecosystem services, which forests provide. This information will lead to more data-driven decision-making on forests; moreover it is expected to increase public trust in forest management, reduce illegal logging, incentivize and reward more sustainable forest management practices, and support the adaptation of forests to climate change.

Therefore, aiming at delving deeper into the issue, the European Parliament Intergroup on ‘Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Sustainable Development’ is hosting a roundtable to gather insights from different stakeholders on this crucial legislation.

Final Agenda:

13:15 – 13:25:                 Opening remarks by MEP Juozas Olekas

13:25 – 13:45:                 Key interventions from different Representatives of Member States (5’ per speaker):

• Lithuania – Donatas Vaikasas, Ministry of Environment
• Finland – Korhonen Kari, Natural Resources Institute Finland
• Austria – Schadauer Klemens, Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape (BFW)
• Czech Republic – Jaroslav Kubišta, Forest Management Institute

13:45 – 14:25:                 Key interventions from different stakeholders (5’ per speaker):

• Hélène Koch, Senior Policy Adviser, CEPF
• Kristi Parro, Head of Partner Relations, RMK (Estonian State Forest Management Centre) on behalf of EUSTAFOR
• Florian Marin, Rapporteur on Forest Monitoring, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
• Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove, Senior Forest Policy Officer, WWF European Policy Office
• Ulrich Leberle, Raw Materials Director, Confederation of European Paper Industries (Cepi)
• Susanna Gionfra, Senior Project Officer ‘Nature Based Solutions’, IUCN Europe Regional Office
• Anssi Pekkarinen, Senior Forestry Officer, Forestry Division, FAO
• Marko Maki-Hakola, Chair, Forestry Working Party, Copa-Cogeca

14:25 – 14:30:                 Reaction by Ion Codescu, Head of Unit on ‘Land Use and Management’ (D1), DG ENV, European Commission

14:30 – 14:55:                 Open discussion with the audience

14:55 – 15:00:                 Closing remarks by MEP Michaela Šojdrová