Focus Group 'Forestry and forest health: new and emerging pests and diseases'

How to promote the sustainability and resilience of European forests in the face of new and emerging pests and diseases?

Tasks

identify the most relevant new and emerging pests and diseases affecting Europe's forests, and their origin
identify and propose adaptive forest management (silvicultural) strategies and approaches to prevent the spread or appearance of emerging pests and diseases enhanced by climate change and minimise their impacts
assess the relevance of other solutions, such as non-native and unconventional tree species which are underplanted/or underused in forestry practices, so as to improve resilience to biotic and abiotic threats
compile existing tools and technologies for early detection and monitoring that are fast, time-effective, reliable, and user-friendly
identify new technologies and tools for the control of pests and pathogens, including new products, biocontrol agents, and new solutions in pest/disease-tolerant tree planting material, which reduces the use of chemical pesticides
propose operational actions to increase the social dimension in forest health initiatives through the engagement of citizens, professionals (foresters, farmers, and others involved in forest-related sectors) and scientists
identify research needs from practice and possible knowledge gaps, proposing directions for further research
propose priorities for innovative actions by suggesting potential topics for the EIP Operational Groups to test solutions and opportunities, including ways to disseminate the collected practical knowledge

Focus Group members

Title	First name	Last name	Country	Profession	Contact
Mr	Flavius	Bălăcenoiu	Romania	Researcher	Email
Ms	Natalia	Balafa	Greece	Innovation support agent / innovation broker	Email
Ms	Marta	Bastos	Portugal	Other	Email
Ms	Manuela	Branco	Portugal	Researcher	Email
Mr	Ben	Bubner	Germany	Researcher	Email
Mr	John	Casey	Ireland	Forester / Forest manager or owner	Email
Ms	Michelle	Cleary	Sweden	Researcher	Email
Mr	Rein	Drenkhan	Estonia	Researcher	Email
Mr	Alexandre	Ernst de Bunswyck	Belgium	Expert from an organisation, network, group or enterprise	Email
Mr	Yann	Fortunato	France	Forester / Forest manager or owner	Email
Mr	Risto	Lauhanen	Finland	Researcher	Email
Mr	Hugo	Mas Gisbert	Spain	Researcher	Email
Ms	Dinka	Matošević	Croatia	Researcher	Email
Ms	Iryna	Matsiakh	Sweden	Researcher	Email
Ms	Andreja	Nève Repe	Slovenia	Forester / Forest manager or owner	Email
Ms	Karolina	Resnerová	Czechia	Researcher	Email
Ms	Katarzyna	Sikora	Poland	Researcher	Email
Mr	Jan	Skalík	Czechia	Expert	Email
Mr	Mikko	Syri	Finland	Forester / Forest manager or owner	Email
Mr	Lionel	Viard	France	Expert	Email

Facilitation team

Mr	Pedro	Naves	Task Manager
Mr	Darius	Kavaliauskas	Co-Task Manager
Mr	Jan-Peter	George	Coordinating Expert

Contact information

If you have any questions regarding this Focus Group, please get in touch with us at focusgroup.innovation@eucapnetwork.eu.

Working documents

A Starting Paper has been developed within the frame of the EU CAP Network Focus Group ‘Forestry and forest health: new and emerging pests and diseases' with the purpose of providing input to the Focus Group discussions and final report.

The information and views set out in this Starting Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission. The Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this Starting Paper. Neither the Commission nor any person acting on the Commission’s behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.

If you wish to cite this Starting Paper, please refer to it as ‘Starting Paper of the EU CAP Network Focus Group ‘Forestry and forest health: new and emerging pests and diseases’, 2025’.

Resources

Documents

English language

Starting paper

(PDF – 810.13 KB)

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