The new EU forest strategy must focus on managing forests sustainably, promoting efficient use of the raw materials that they produce, and boosting the competitiveness of forest-related industry so as to create jobs, says a non-legislative resolution voted by EU Parliament.

Tackle new challenges together

The EU needs a new comprehensive strategy to tackle cross-border challenges such as forest fires, climate change, natural disasters or invasive alien species, but also to strengthen forest-based industries and improve efficient use of raw materials such as timber, cork or textile fibres. This would boost the competitiveness of the EU's forestry, improve its self-sufficiency in wood, cut its trade deficit and boost employment in the sector, says the resolution.

More support for R&D and young foresters

To create new production niches and ensure smarter use of available resources, MEPs want the Commission and member states to:

• use current EU R&D programmes (such as Horizon 2020) and promote targeted research on cost-effective new timber products,

• focus on long-term data collection within the newly-created European forest information system, so as to better understand forestry trends and also use the Copernicus programme and other EU space initiatives to this end, and

• set up new training programmes for young foresters and use all available EU instruments and funds to attract them into the industry.