Guidelines on closer-to-nature forest management

Under the European Green Deal, the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 sets a path for the recovery of Europe’s biodiversity, including its forest biodiversity. The biodiversity strategy for 2030 highlights the importance of sustainably managing forests as a nature-based solution in the fight against climate change, and it calls for biodiversity-friendly forestry practices to continue and to be further developed.

To this end, it asks the Commission to develop guidelines on closer-to-nature forest management. The EU forest strategy for 2030 echoes this commitment and defines closer-to-nature forest management as a set of practices to ensure multifunctional forests by combining biodiversity goals, carbon stock preservation and timber-related revenues.

The aim of these guidelines is to promote biodiversity-friendly and adaptive forest management as part of a common framework for closer-to-nature forest management. They present relevant practices and showcase the benefits of these practices for forest multifunctionality and climate change resilience without neglecting socioeconomic benefits. The guidelines will assist competent authorities and key stakeholders in developing and promoting biodiversity-friendly and adaptive practices in forest management across different scales, discussing challenges and opportunities.