Description of the aims and goals of WG’s activities

The value for us lies in working closely with other rural and forested regions, which are often much closer to rural life and its challenges than national governments. From a rural perspective, we share many common concerns and opportunities, and there is significant potential to learn from one another by exchanging experiences, particularly in forest policy and forest-based innovation projects. Through this collaboration, we also gain important insights into European Union initiatives and are able to jointly analyse forest-related European policies with other regional representatives. A key aim of this cooperation is to coordinate and develop common position papers on relevant forest issues and European initiatives, as well as to work together on joint proposals for forest innovation projects, thereby strengthening the collective regional voice at the European level.

Challenges to address

Today, the political divide is increasingly between rural and urban perspectives rather than left and right. This highlights the need to defend the interests of rural and forested regions in European forest-related policies. A key challenge is to balance social, economic, and environmental objectives while reflecting on-the-ground realities. At the same time, faster exchange of best practices and innovations among rural and forested regions is essential to address shared challenges effectively.