Commissioner Christophe Hansen celebrated the 20th anniversary of the European State Forest Association (EUSTAFOR) by underscoring the role of sustainable forest management in Europe’s economy and environment. He highlighted forests covering 40% of the EU territory as vital for bio-based materials, ecosystem services, tourism, and energy. Hansen reflected on his recent visits to Member States, noting the diverse forest-related industries and their interconnections with farming.
Hansen emphasized that approximately EUR 4.2 billion has been allocated under the 2023–2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plans for over 180 forestry-specific interventions across 23 countries, including investments, infrastructure, afforestation, disaster prevention, and innovation support. He assured that CAP will continue its backing into the 2028–2034 programming period, reiterating the commitment made by Commissioner Piotr Serafin in November 2025 to strengthen CAP regulation and common definitions for a level playing field for farmers. This follows the broader MFF proposal for 2028–2034, which emphasized partnership plans and regional engagement.
Hansen also announced a recently adopted integrated wildfire management strategy offering guidelines on wildfire prevention and recovery. This aligns with the March 2026 Environment Council debate on the EU Climate Resilience Framework, where member states discussed flexibility in LULUCF rules and climate resilience, and where Commissioner Jessika Roswall presented the EU Bioeconomy Strategy as a growth and resilience tool.
Introducing the new Bioeconomy Strategy, Hansen promoted sustainable use of forestry biomass to replace fossil-based materials, fostering jobs and rural growth. The strategy identifies lead markets such as bio-based construction, plastics, textiles, and packaging. This builds on Commissioner Roswall’s November 2025 presentation of the Circular Economy Act and Bioeconomy Strategy in the 2026 Commission Work Programme, and her March 2026 announcement of a call for evidence to revise the Water Framework Directive, connecting water resilience to clean mining for critical raw materials.
Hansen’s speech demonstrates a tilt towards maintaining and potentially expanding EU powers via continued CAP support and integrated strategies, reflecting increased regulation and public funding in forestry and bioeconomy sectors. It balances economic growth via rural development against environmental roles of forests, underscoring sustainable forest management principles. The support appears designed to aid forest owners, farmers, rural communities, and the forestry industry but may impose administrative and investment demands on Member States and private stakeholders.
Forest owners, both private and public, stand to benefit from sustained financial support and innovation aid, enhancing their management capacities. Farmers gain complementary income and opportunities tied to forestry activities. The forestry-based industries involved in production of wood-textiles, bio-plastics, and construction materials could see growth and market expansion. EU taxpayers and national authorities will bear costs related to CAP funding allocations and policy implementation, which require ongoing commitments and assessments to balance economic and environmental goals.
Hansen's stance reflects a strategic effort to integrate forestry within broader EU environmental and economic policies, emphasizing collaboration and innovation to secure the future of Europe’s forests.
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