Mid-term review of the EU Forest Strategy
This article was published under the 2015-2020 European Committee of the Regions mandate.
Summary
NAT-VI-027
Objective
The progress in the implementation of the EU Forest Strategy
This report is ongoing.
The recommendations of the opinion by Ossi Martikainen on the EU Forest Strategy are not totally taken up by the Midterm review and this opinion serves as a follow-up to it
There will be a seminar on the topic in Hungary on 13-14 May.
Mid-term review of the Forest Strategy
Martikainen looks at the implementation of the EU Forest Strategy and added to its review; his report provides the opportunity to mainstream adaptation to climate change into existing policies and financing tools and calls on the Commission to offer appropriate empowerment options to regions and cities. Forests cover 40% of total EU area and consist of a key resource for improving quality of life and job creation, particularly in rural areas.
This report was adopted at the CoR Plenary in May 2018.
Impact
2019
At a EUSTAFOR (the European State Forest Association, which represents state forest companies, enterprises and agencies that have sustainable forest management and sustainable wood production as major concerns) round table meeting in Brussels about the coherence between forest-related policies in the EU and the role of the EU Forest Strategy our rapporteur Ossi Martikainen presented his CoR opinions. He outlined several policy recommendations, such as improving EU level coordination of policies with an impact on forestry, the role of local and regional authorities and the importance of the forestry sector for the rural areas.
2018
13 November
Participation of rapporteur Martikainen in Bioregions 2018 Forum – Vision, approaches and experiences in the forest circular bioeconomy in Barcelona, Spain.
10 October
Rapporteur Mr Ossi Martikainen and Herbert Dorfmann MEP discussed their views related to Mid-term review of Forest Strategy and more generally on the sector itself.
9 October
Exchange of views with the ALDE Group’s Ulrike Müller MEP , discussing Forest Strategy in the EU.
22 May
Finnish media Savon Sanomat covers Martikainen’s report
18 May Finnish blog Ekofokus zooms in on Martikainen’s report.
13 – 14 May
Conference on the Implementation of the EU Forest Strategy for a sustainable way of living in our cities and regions. This followed after an invitation of Mr. Laszlo Majthényi (President of the General Assembly of Vas County – Hungary, after which the NAT Commission organised this conference in Szombathelyi, Hungary with Ossi Martikainen as chair.
22 January
First discussion in the NAT Commission on the opinion. Martikainen focuses on the proper management of the renewable national resource that are forests and the need to talk more about the role of forests from the perspective of local levels as ownership is an important question, as the competence lies within the member states.
2017
December Appointment of rapporteur

Ossi Martikainen
Rapporteur
- – Download the opinion – EU Midterm Forest Strategy
- – Download the opinion – Progress in the implementation of the EU Forest Strategy (report ongoing)
Media corner
Did you know forests cover 43% of land area of EU Member States? Or that the forestry sector provides jobs for 3.5 million people?
“Investing in a sustainable #forest economy will benefit local authorities and citizens”
Ossi Martikainen #CorPlenary: https://t.co/dHtyw49MkX. pic.twitter.com/lTex0uBIhf
— ALDE-CoR (@ALDE_CoR) 16 May 2018