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Knowledge4Policy
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Supporting policy with scientific evidence

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  • Topic / Tool | Last updated: 25 Feb 2026
Forestry biomass

Explore data and information on forestry biomass and the state of EU forests: key figures, visualisations, publications and other resources selected for you!

Bioeconomy

Brief me

Forestry biomass production within a sustainable and circular bioeconomy (2020).

  • Forestry has a central role among the biomass producing sectors, providing valuable resources for the EU bioeconomy as well as supporting biodiversity and various ecosystem services.
  • 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.
  • The annual wood harvests in the EU are ca. 570 million m3 (average 2019-2023), corresponding to ca. 75% of the net annual increment.
  • Over the last decade, the European forestry sector employed on average 514 000 people and produced an annual value added of EUR 31.7 billion (Lasarte-López et al., 2025).
  • Sustainable wood production implies balancing harvesting with the full range of other forest ecosystem services.

Find out more in the brief and explore further other resources!

Explore further

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

10 years of comprehensive biomass analysis - informing policy to ensure that biomass supply and uses are within ecological limits and EU policy goals.

Stakeholder and expert groups on forestry

Explore platforms and working groups contributing to enhancing the EU forest-related policies.

Latest knowledge

EVENT | 19 Mar 2026
International Day of Forests 2026
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests (IDF) in 2012. The Day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests...