13 December 2013: The European Forest Week, which convened from 9-13 December 2013, featured events around Europe, including a series of activities in Rovaniemi, Finland, that addressed issues such as the European Union – the Russian Federation Cooperation for forest governance, local forest management best practices, the history and future of sustainable forest management (SFM) in Europe and payments for forest ecosystem services.

Other events during the Week focused on country-specific issues such as the participation of indigenous peoples in forest management in Finland and good practices in SFM in Israel. Other national activities held included a forest festival in Macedonia, a wood-based art exhibit in Austria, a forest film festival in the Czech Republic, and a series of forest lectures and educational events in Spain and Italy.

The Week also featured events and briefings including: a side-event hosted by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) and the International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA) focused on forest education; a UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) briefing on the outcomes of the Forum on Cross-Boundary Fire Management highlighting the increasing threat to forests from wildfires; and a European Commission event, organized with partners, on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) in the European Neighborhood Policy East Countries and Russia.

The European Forest Week was held in parallel with Metsä2013, the Joint Session of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry (COFFI) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) European Forestry Commission (EFC). [European Forest Week 2013]