Previous Forest Academy forums 2018-2023
The Forest Academy for EU Decision Makers has been organised three times jointly by Finland and Sweden.
The Forest Academy for EU Decision Makers utilises the Forest Academy communication tool produced by the Finnish Forest Association. The Forest Academy communication programme has been active in Finland since 1996, and over 1,700 top-level decision-makers from different sectors of society have participated in the forums.
Third forum in 2023 in Finland
The third Forest Academy for EU Decision Makers, organised in Finland in September 2023 continued the facilitation of dialogue on topical forest issues between key decision-makers in the EU and forestry stakeholders.
The third Forest Academy for Decision Makers took place on 20–22 September in Southern and Central Finland and consisted of seminar sessions, field excursions, discussions and network building. The invitational discussion forum focused on the role of forests and forest-based solutions in achieving Europe’s important biodiversity, resilience and economic goals.
The event formed an occasion for decision-makers to connect with other key people in the EU institutions and to share insights on the opportunities that forests can offer to society. The arrangements for the third forum were handled by the Finnish Forest Association, in collaboration with a steering group consisting of experts working closely with EU forest agenda. The 2023 forum was financed by the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Finnish Forest Foundation, the Metsämiesten Säätiö Foundation and the Marjatta ja Eino Kollin Säätiö foundation.
Video: Sense the atmosphere of the Forest Academy 2023 organised in Finland
Over 30 influential people attended Forest Academy for EU Decision Makers in Finland – here’s what it was like
The Forest Academy for EU Decision Makers brought more than 30 influential Europeans to Finland, to learn about forestry, nature management and the forest industry.
Read more at Forest.fi – News from forest & forest sector
Pilot forums 2018 in Finland and 2022 in Sweden
The first Forest Academy for EU Decision Makers pilot event took place in November 2018. The participants visited forests and production sites in the Lahti region, in Southern Finland. The programme focused on how forests can contribute to the development of a sustainable circular bioeconomy.
The second pilot event was held in Sweden in June 2022. The programme offered an opportunity to gain insights into how the EU policies, such as those related to climate change, bioeconomy, and the European Green Deal, impact the forest sector and what the future may be like.
The initiative for the first two forums was financed by the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Swedish Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation, and the Finnish Forest Foundation.
Photos of the events in 2018 and 2022:
