Development of forest-related legislation under the European Green Deal – current status and outlook

The aim of this paper is to identify and analyse the legally binding targets for forests and forestry at EU level adopted under the European Green Deal (EGD), <em>i.e.</em> from 2019 onwards. The paper also includes legislative proposals on forestry that are at different stages of the negotiation process but have not yet entered into force. The paper presents the status as of 1 March 2025. The study is based on a content analysis of the forest−related legal acts and legislative proposals under the EGD, the preparation of which was part of the forest−related strategies under the EGD. In total, nine legal acts and four announced legislative proposals at different stages of negotiation were analysed. The EUR−LEX database of EU legislation served as a source for the documents analysed. As part of the analysis, the legally binding objectives for forests in existing legislation and in legislative proposals were analysed. Strategic directions for forests and forest management were derived from the legally binding targets. Most of the legally binding objectives contained in the legal acts are forest−related (indirectly related to forests). These objectives take into account the contribution of forests to the achievement of other, broader objectives that go far beyond the forest sector itself. Only the objectives for forest ecosystems contained in the Nature Restoration Regulation can be considered forest−related objectives, although the Regulation itself applies also to other ecosystems. The objectives formulated in the legal acts (adopted and still to be negotiated) are mainly qualitative in nature and serve to set strategic directions rather than specific thresholds or values to be achieved by Member States. In recent years, the number of directives regulating forest−related fields of action has decreased in favour of regulations. The strategic directions for forests and forest management resulting from the implementation of the legally binding targets under the EGD focus primarily on the reduction of net carbon emissions. We conclude that the increasing amount of EU legislation in the area of forest policy, which is mainly based on the EU’s shared competences in environmental and climate policy, and the nature of this legislation could indicate that the EU institutions attempt to include forests and forestry in the shared competences. Alternatively, greater coordination of EU policies and better co−operation between Member States and the EU institutions could improve forest policy coherence and the implementation of forestry objectives set out in legislation adopted under the EGD.