Forest Academy for EU Decision Makers builds dialogue on forests between EU institutions

Finland and Sweden have started a joint initiative consisting of two consecutive events for EU decision makers: the first one will take place in southern Finland this November.

Forest Academy for EU Decision Makers is a discussion forum focusing on the ways in which forests can contribute to the development of a sustainable circular bioeconomy.

”The key idea is offering possibilities to connect with other key decision makers in EU institutions and sharing insights”, says Director for Forest Academy Elina Antila from the Finnish Forest Association.

This year’s Forest Academy will take place between November 21 and 23, 2018. It is the first of two consecutive events organized as a joint venture between Finland and Sweden. The event is summoned by Prime Ministers Juha Sipilä and Stefan Löfven and planned with the engagement of an extensive group of stakeholders. The two-day programme will consist of seminar sessions, field excursions, discussions and network building.

The target group includes decision makers in various EU institutions, especially in the European Parliament and the European Commission. Invitees also include representatives from research and development, business, NGO’s and the media, as well as forest- and bioeconomy-related stakeholders. Registrations have already started to build up.

The initiative is financed by the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Swedish Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation and the Finnish Forest Foundation. The events utilize the Forest Academy communication tool produced by the Finnish Forest Association. In Finland, the communication programme has been running successfully since 1996. Some 1,400 top-level decision-makers from different sectors of society have participated in the forums.

Some of the members of the working group for the Forest Academy for EU Decision Makers at a meeting in Helsinki, in August 2018. Top row from left: Anders Portin, Lars Högbom, Kai Lintunen, Terhi Koipijärvi, Teemu Seppä, Peter Blombäck. Front row: Mika Mustonen, Karoliina Niemi, Annamari Heikkinen, Elina Antila.
Some of the members of the working group for the Forest Academy for EU Decision Makers at a meeting in Helsinki, in August 2018. Top row from left: Anders Portin, Lars Högbom, Kai Lintunen, Terhi Koipijärvi, Teemu Seppä, Peter Blombäck. Front row: Mika Mustonen, Karoliina Niemi, Annamari Heikkinen, Elina Antila.

More information:

The Forest Academy website

Director for the Forest Academy for Decision Makers Elina Antila, Finnish Forest Association
Tel. +358 50 351 2411, elina.antila@smy.fi

Managing Director for the Finnish Forest Association Anders Portin
Tel. 040 586 6179, anders.portin@smy.fi

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