Forestry biomass production within a sustainable and circular bioeconomy
Brief me
- Forestry has a central role among the biomass producing sectors, providing valuable resources for the EU bioeconomy.
- Forests in the EU cover more than one third of the land area and they have been expanding since 1990, although the rate of expansion is slowing down.
- They provide many services to society, such as helping mitigate climate change, supporting biodiversity, regulating water, offering recreation areas and supplying wood.
- In 2021, 582 million m3 of wood were harvested in the EU, corresponding to ca. 75% of the net annual increment.
- Sustainable wood production implies balancing harvesting with the full range of other forest ecosystem services.
- Monitoring EU forests is key to ensuring their balanced management: the European Commission is working with Member States to harmonise data and make statistics comparable across the EU.
Find out more in the brief and explore further other resources!
Brief on forestry biomass production
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EU policy related to forests and forestry
Learn more about the policy measures for EU forests.
EU observatory on deforestation and forest degradation
Explore maps and datasets made publicly available by this JRC-managed observatory.
Key publications on forestry biomass
Keep up to date with this collection of publications, giving insights on the status and potential development of the EU forest-based sector.
Infographics and datasets on forestry biomass
Discover how the forest sector contributes to the EU bioeconomy.
The JRC Biomass Mandate
The JRC Biomass Mandate has been conducting a comprehensive analysis of biomass supply and usage for over a decade.
Stakeholder and expert groups on forestry
Explore platforms and working groups contributing to enhancing the EU forest-related policies
Latest knowledge
Research project discovers ways to convert forest industry’s carbon dioxide emissions into raw material for plastics – results pave way for new sustainable industry
The project investigated different technologies for producing renewable plastic raw materials from carbon dioxide and green hydrogen. Renewable energy, hydrogen economy and forest industry’s biogenic...
Facts and figures for the German biomass strategy
In a joint report, six research institutes, including the Thünen Institutes of Forestry and Market Analysis, present scientific data and considerations on the potential of biomass use in Germany.
Commission takes action to simplify the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation
Today, the Commission is providing further simplifications and reducing the administrative burden to facilitate the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). In this context, it has published new guidance...