They aim to finish the draft text of an agreement for the protection and sustainable management of forests in Europe.  Non-European countries, environmental and social NGOs, forest owners' associations, the forest industry and intergovernmental organizations will also participate in the negotiations as observers.  The results of the negotiating process will be presented to an extraordinary FOREST EUROPE ministerial conference, which will be held in the first half of 2014 in Madrid, Spain.

After two years of hard work, and previous negotiating meetings held in Vienna (Austria), Bonn (Germany), Antalya (Turkey), Saint Petersburg (Russia) and Warsaw (Poland), agreement is very close to being reached.

Significant progress towards conservation and sustainable forest management has been made during the last decades in Europe.  Nevertheless, new challenges and opportunities are now emerging for European forests, which need to be addressed.  The expected agreement would set the necessary framework for a coherent approach to the continent’s forests and to guarantee the continuity of all forest functions.

The agreement would recognize the importance of the economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits provided by forests. Furthermore, it would strengthen political cooperation between the states of Europe in order to sustainably manage their forests.

Further background information on the negotiating process is available at http://www.forestnegotiations.org/