Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren welcomes Germany to For Forest+
Published
Sweden is this year’s chair of the For Forest+ group. In this context, Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren hosted a meeting of the group’s members on 31 March, during which the group welcomed Germany as a new member. With the addition of Germany, For Forest+ now consists of eight EU Member States that collectively account for around 60 per cent of the forests of the 27 EU Member States (EU27).
“I’m delighted that Germany has joined For Forest+. The addition of Germany strengthens forest interests in Brussels and gives us an even stronger voice,” says Mr Kullgren.
The majority of the day was spent in the forest, where the ministers were shown first-hand examples of forestry in action, including planning, general environmental considerations and forestry equipment technology.
The ministers also discussed current EU issues related to forests and forestry.
“It was a day filled with good, constructive discussions on current EU issues that affect the competitiveness of the forestry sector. The objective of this strategic partnership is to maintain our strong exchange and gather support on common issues,” says Mr Kullgren.
For Forest and For Forest+
For Forest+ is a forum for formal cooperation between EU Member States on forest issues. Launched in 2022, the original For Forest Group was launched by EU Member States Austria, Finland, Slovenia and Sweden. It was established with the aim of being able to swiftly mobilise joint contributions to discussions concerning EU forest policy. After France joined in 2024, the expanded group was renamed For Forest+. In 2025, Italy and Latvia joined. Sweden is the chair of For Forest+ in 2026.
Forests in the EU27
The total land area of the 27 EU Member States (EU27) is 399 million hectares, of which 162 million are classified as forest and 20 million are classified as other wooded land. Together, the eight members of For Forest+ account for 98 million hectares of forests and 6 million hectares of other wooded land.
Press contact
Press Secretary to the Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren
Phone (switchboard) +46 8 405 10 00
Mobile +46 76 318 65 75
email to Dan Jormvik
