1st meeting of the Thematic Group on Forest-Dominant Rural Areas & Municipalities - Report

This was the first meeting of the Thematic Group (TG) on Supporting the Needs of Forest-Dominant Rural Areas and Municipalities: Laying the groundwork for networking under the Forest Strategy, whose aim was to bring together representatives of and stakeholders from forest-dominant rural areas and municipalities across the EU to explore how to better support those areas and communities.

The meeting helped to take stock and explore the socio-economic and environmental needs and issues facing forest-dominant rural areas and municipalities. It allowed to share experiences between actors to identify challenges and barriers to addressing their needs / issues, and explored existing structures for involving forest-dominant areas in policy processes and what the added benefit of networking and networks to support key stakeholders might be.

The meeting looked at socio-economic, demographic and environmental needs and issues facing forest-dominant rural areas, with examples from various Member Sates which all highlighted the importance of networking and synergies - recognised in the EU Forest Strategy 2030 and the Long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas.

Group and plenary discussions focused on the importance of balancing the multifunctional uses of forests, the role of networking in offering the opportunity for knowledge exchange and sharing of examples, particularly on integrated territorial approaches among multiple forest owners and other rural actors. The role of forest networks - at local, regional, national and EU level - was mentioned. The meeting also stressed the importance of securing the sustainable management of forests into the future, and therefore the importance of an intergenerational transfer of knowledge and skills about the value of the multiple functions of forests, including their cultural significance. Expanding the applicability of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) to forest areas could help facilitate these actions.