The European Forest Institute, in collaboration with the WoodPop platform released a new publication: “Taking a bird’s eye view of EU wood-based policy: Untangling policy, institutional, and actor frameworks affecting the wood-based”.

This report on the wood-based sector explores the complex policy landscape affecting industries reliant on wood and wood-based products, drawing on analysis of EU regulatory frameworks and stakeholder perspectives. It is divided in 6 main chapters: Rethinking Wood Policy, Governance Pathways for Sustainable Wood Policy, Wood-Relevant Policy Instruments, Wood in Construction (Case Study), How to Monitor EU Policymaking and Navigating EU Policy for the Wood-Based Sector.

Key Points Summary:

• Fragmented Governance: There is no single EU wood policy; instead, various overlapping and sometimes conflicting policies (environmental, energy, trade, etc.) affect the sector.
• Policy Trade-offs: Tension exists between using wood for industrial growth (e.g., construction, bioeconomy) and preserving forest ecosystem services (e.g., biodiversity, carbon storage).
• Complex Actor Landscape: Many institutions and stakeholders (EU institutions, industry groups, NGOs) influence policymaking, with varying and often conflicting priorities.
• Strategic and Regulatory Frameworks: Includes directives like RED III (renewables), EUTR (illegal logging), and the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. These shape forest use and wood-product markets.

Call for Integration:

• Align forest, environmental, and industrial policies => Prioritise sustainable practices: focus on producing carbon-neutral biomass, sustainable wood and non-wood products, and environmentally sound processing of these materials .
• Recognize the carbon-storage role of harvested wood into all climate policies.
• Improve monitoring and stakeholder engagement in policy development.