Multi-annual Implementation Plan of the new EU Forest Strategy.

This document lays down a multi-annual implementation plan for the new EU Forest Strategy, which was adopted in 2013 and aims at establishing a framework for forest-related actions in support of sustainable forest management, based on the coordination of the forest policies and initiatives relevant to forests and to the forest-based sector. The plan includes an annex with the concrete list of actions for the period 2015-2020, the actors and timing of the different activities as well as the expected outcomes. It takes into account the comments provided by the Standing Forestry Committee, the input from the Forest-based Industries Expert Group as well as the comments provided by the Civil Dialogue Group on Forestry and Cork. The plan is structured according to the eight priority areas of the EU Forest Strategy, providing actions and target dates for each area.
The plan aims at making forestry more productive and sustainable. Relevant measures include support for afforestation, establishment of agroforestry systems, prevention and restoration of damage to forests, investments to enhance the ecological and economic value of forests, on-site, small-scale first-stage wood processing, knowledge transfer and training. Member States can include the forestry measures in their Rural Development Programmes according to their specific needs and priorities. In the context of Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process, one of the objectives os to share experience, build knowledge and promote cooperative actions involving all interested stakeholders to maximize the contribution of the Natura 2000 network for maintaining and where necessary restoring a favourable conservation status of forest habitat types and species of Community interest including wild birds .
In addition, the plan aims at enabling more inclusive and efficient agro-forestry systems. The following priorities are set out: (i) coordinate, cooperate and communicate to enhance policy coherence and consistency; (ii) enhance the competitiveness of the forest-based sector; (iii) assess and enhance the contribution of sustainably managed forests to rural development; (iv) strengthen the Forest Information System, which will generate harmonized European-wide information on forests and their state, including forest resources, health and vitality, biomass, fragmentation, fires and pests; (v) explore the potential availability of sustainable biomass from all sources, including forest-based ones, for many uses. Another objective is to coordinate and integrate diverse information systems and data platforms into a dynamic modular system that combines data and models into applications, which will provide accurate information on forests for policy decision makers, research organizations and the European citizens.
Under priority area Nº 3 (Forests in a changing climate), the focus will be on increasing the mitigation potential of forests, through a number of measures addressing increased removals, reduced emissions, prevention of disasters such as forest fires and the prolonged use of harvested wood products.