In 1990, as forest decline and acid rain threatened European ecosystems, ministers from across the continent gathered in Strasbourg. Their goal was ambitious: to collaborate voluntarily on protecting Europe’s forests. That moment marked the birth of what would become the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe, today known as Forest Europe.

Tiina Rytilä, Senior Ministerial Adviser at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland describes the situation in Europe by the late 1980s:

“Europe’s forests were under increasing pressure especially due to air pollution, and this made it clear that national measures alone were not enough.”

At the initiative of France and Finland, ministers from across the continent met in Strasbourg in 1990 and adopted the Strasbourg General Declaration. The aim was clear: to strengthen cooperation on forest protection and sustainable management and safeguard Europe’s forest heritage over the long term. Six technical resolutions launched practical collaboration on ecosystem monitoring, genetic resources, forest fires, mountain forests, research, and information exchange.

A growing pan-European process

What began in Strasbourg in 1990 as a pioneering initiative to protect Europe’s forests has grown into an established pan-European political process uniting 44 countries and the EU. Forest Europe today serves as the recognized pan-European reference point for Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) in Europe. From the very beginning, the process was characterized by practical cooperation, scientific grounding, and political commitment.

Eight Ministerial Conferences have been held since Strasbourg. Over time, Forest Europe has evolved from a single conference into a continuous political process, with expert groups, shared criteria and indicators, and an active network of national focal points and institutions ensuring implementation between conferences.

The definition of Sustainable Forest Management

A milestone came in Helsinki in 1993, when ministers agreed on the definition of Sustainable Forest Management, a definition that continues to guide Europe’s forest policies. As Tiina Rytilä notes:

“Europe became a global forerunner in defining and operationalizing SFM, and this work influenced global forest-related agendas and action.”

Ministerial conferences have been closely linked to other global forest policy processes. For instance, the Forest Europe Helsinki process was connected to preparations for the 1995 meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development on forests, where the decision was made to establish the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests.

Key results that shaped Europe’s forest governance

Over three and a half decades, Forest Europe has built the shared frameworks and tools that support coherent forest monitoring and policy development across the region. Without this unique pan-European platform, many of these achievements would not exist. Among the most important results are:

• The pan-European definition of SFM (Helsinki, Resolution H1, 1993)
• Criteria & Indicators for SFM (Lisbon 1998 and subsequent updates) – today a common reference for monitoring, reporting and policy alignment
• The State of Europe’s Forests (SoEF) – Forest Europe’s flagship report since 2003, developed jointly with UNECE, FAO, and national experts, providing a comprehensive picture of Europe’s forests.
• EUFORGEN – the pan-European programme for the conservation and sustainable use of forest genetic resources. Established in 1994.
• FoRISK – the Forest Risk Facility – supporting cooperation on forest disturbances such as wildfires, pests, storms and climate-related risks (mandated in Bonn 2024).
• Rapid Response Mechanisms and High Level Policy Dialogues. Formats developed for addressing emerging interests.

Together, these initiatives have created a robust knowledge base for evidence-based decision-making, enabling countries to translate political commitments into practice.

As Tiina Rytilä reflects:

“35 years is a long time, and when looking back, we see a long list of achievements. I would like to mention the Rapid Response Mechanism, which enables us to address emerging issues. In this way Forest Europe has, to take an example, been able to support the Ukrainian forest sector and its forests”.

Strengthening Finland’s forest policy, monitoring, and EU alignment

Since 1994, Finland has aligned its national criteria and indicators with the pan-European C&I, tailoring around 160 indicators to national conditions. These form the basis for Finland’s periodic forest sustainability reporting.

Forest Europe commitments also appear in national legislation and strategy documents — from the METSO voluntary forest protection programme to the National Forest Strategies (2025 and 2035).

From an EU perspective the work of Forest Europe is also recognized as fundamental. The EU Forest Strategy for 2030 explicitly references Forest Europe’s definition of Sustainable Forest Management, its guidelines and indicators. More recently, the European Commission’s proposal for a regulation establishing the conditions for the implementation of the Union support to the Common Agriculture Policy for the period from 2028 to 2034 makes support to forest holdings over a certain size conditional on the presentation of the relevant information from a forest management plan or equivalent instrument in accordance with the sustainable management of forests as defined in the most recent version of Forest Europe’s General Guidelines for the Sustainable Management of Forests in Europe.

Looking ahead – a dynamic process in a changing world

As Forest Europe marks its 35-year anniversary, the forest agenda is shaped by increasingly complex environmental, political, and economic pressures. Tiina Rytilä’s reflections align closely with current priorities across the Forest Europe process:

• A rapidly changing global and geopolitical landscape
• Challenges in multilateral forest cooperation
• Balancing the EU’s strong policy role with broader pan-European cooperation
• Climate change mitigation and adaptation, forest damage prevention, and safeguarding forest growth
• Unlocking the potential of the forest-based bioeconomy

The process itself also faces challenges. Ensuring long-term financing, maintaining political relevance, and strengthening shared data and monitoring tools have become central priorities. Liaison Unit Sweden is addressing these questions through dedicated workstreams. All proposals and outcomes will be presented at the Ministerial Conference in Stockholm in June 2026 — a defining moment for the future direction of Forest Europe.

An enduring partnership

After three and a half decades, Forest Europe demonstrates the impact that long-term, coordinated political collaboration can achieve. The process has enabled countries across the pan-European region to manage their forests more sustainably, while building trust, shared knowledge, and a strong foundation for continued cooperation.

As the Signatories and Observers look ahead to the Ministerial Conference in Stockholm, the messages first articulated in Strasbourg in 1990 remain strikingly relevant. Tiina Rytilä summarizes the value of the process:

“Forest Europe provides an essential platform for political dialogue, knowledge exchange, and the integration of global forest challenges into regional strategies. It plays a critical role in aligning national actions with broader sustainability and climate objectives. Its voluntary, consensus-driven framework remains invaluable for the region.”