📋 Tender Overview
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Mateja Calusic is hosting a meeting of representatives of the member states of the expanded Forest Group +, which is chaired by Slovenia this year, in Maribor. In addition to Austria, Finland, Sweden, Slovenia and France, Italy and Latvia formally joined the group at this meeting by officially signing the guidelines. The Forest Group + thus connects seven countries.Meeting of the Forest Group + | Author: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food 1 / 3 The meeting in Maribor is intended for an in-depth political dialogue on current challenges in the European forestry sector. The key topics of the discussions are climate change and the role of forests as carbon sinks, sustainable forest management, the implementation of European legislation - including the Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) - and the new EU legislative proposal on forest monitoring. The directors of the forestry institutes of the Member States also participate in the discussion, which allows for a direct connection between politics and science. Slovenia has a long tradition of sustainable, multifunctional and environmentally friendly management. Forests cover 58 percent of our country, which places us among the most forested EU member states. Our model is based on the promotion of natural processes, natural regeneration and the ban on clear felling, intertwining the economic, environmental and social functions of the forest. The Slovenian Forest Service plays a key role in this, providing professional support to more than 400,000 forest owners. This approach was recently further confirmed by the entry of sustainable forest management into the Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This is yet another confirmation that Slovenian forestry has rich expertise and a long tradition of forest management that best mimics natural processes in nature. This is a story that we also want to share with our partners in the group. An official ministerial meeting and working consultation took place on Thursday, and today the participants will go on an expert excursion where they will learn about examples of good practices in Slovenia. Among other things, they will visit private forest management, a high-altitude farm and learn about the forests of the Pahernik Foundation, which is part of the European Pro Silva network. A visit to the Center for the Promotion of Sustainable and Sustainable Forest Management in Radlje ob Dravi and a presentation of the cultural heritage of wood use are also planned. Minister Mateja Calusic emphasizes that the meeting in Maribor is an important opportunity to strengthen cooperation between the member states of the Forest Group +, exchange expert experience and strengthen a common approach to sustainable management of European forests in times of climate change and new EU legislative requirements. The partnership advocates for a holistic approach to sustainable forest management, in which all forest functions - economic, environmental and social - are treated equally, in accordance with the principles of the FOREST EUROPE process. The partnership's approach is consistent with the management method in Slovenia, where we have long been implementing multifunctional forest use. In addition, the partnership advocates taking into account and recognizing existing national management systems, forest inventories, programs and strategies, and cultural and historical management methods. Slovenia - one of the most forested countries in Europe More than half of Slovenia (58 percent) is covered by forests, which represent one of the key landscape elements. This places us among the most forested countries in Europe. A total of 71 tree species grow in Slovenian forests: ten species of conifers and 61 species of deciduous trees. The wood stock of Slovenian forests amounts to 303 million cubic meters, growing at approximately 7.5 cubic meters per hectare annually, and less is cut down than could be. Most forests are privately owned (71 percent), but the holdings are very fragmented and small (an average of three hectares), which makes it difficult for owners to manage them effectively. Forests have an important environmental, social and economic function. In addition to ecological benefits, they also represent a source of permanent economic benefits, especially through the timber industry and tourism. Slovenia follows the Resolution on the National Forest Programme, which sets out the objectives of sustainable forest management. These are sustainability, environmental sustainability and multifunctionality. The Operational Programme (2022-2026) includes guidelines for preserving biodiversity, ecological balance and the social and economic functions of forests. The legislation sets out the obligations of forest owners, such as sustainable management and enabling public access. The Slovenian Forest Service and the Forestry Institute are responsible for the implementation of the public forestry service. Their tasks include monitoring the condition of forests, advising owners, caring for seeds and seedlings, and performing other tasks co-financed from the state budget.
