About us

Forests constitute approximately 30% of the "Natura 2000" network's area. The EU has nearly 182 million hectares of forests, covering 43% of its land area, and as such, various EU measures aim to protect forests. The Timber Regulation ((EU) No. 995/2010) establishes obligations for operators introducing timber and timber products into the EU market. The regulation addresses the trade of illegally obtained timber and wood products by setting fundamental obligations and prohibiting the first-time introduction of illegally harvested timber and wood products into the EU market. In September 2013, the Commission adopted a communication titled 'A new EU Forest Strategy and Forest-based Sector.' An interim report on the implementation of the EU Forest Strategy concluded significant progress towards achieving the 2020 objectives.

I. Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry

This sector encompasses the use of soil, trees, plants, biomass, and wood, with its distinctive feature being not only the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) but also the potential to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Until 2020, member states committed under the Kyoto Protocol to ensure that GHG emissions from land use were offset by an equivalent CO2 absorption, achievable through additional actions in this sector. (2.5.2) Currently, the EU aims to enshrine this principle (known as the neutral or positive balance rule) in EU law for the period 2021-2030 by, for the first time, including the land use, land-use change, and forestry sector in EU efforts to reduce emissions. According to Regulation (EU) 2018/841, which came into effect on July 9, 2018, regarding the inclusion of GHG emissions and absorptions from land use, land-use change, and forestry within the climate and energy framework for 2030, GHG emissions from this sector should be offset by at least equivalent CO2 absorption from the atmosphere from 2021-2030. The LULUCF Regulation was amended in April 2023 to set a new target for 2030 in line with the European Green Deal, specifically aiming to increase the EU's carbon absorbers by 15%, equivalent to 310 million tons of CO2. In May 2023, a Commission guidance document assisted member states in aligning land use, forestry, and agriculture with updated national energy and climate plans, ensuring compliance with revised regulations.