06-10-2015 - EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan will present the Multi Annual implementation Plan (MAP) of the EU Forest Strategy to the European Parliament Agriculture Committee in Strasbourg this evening. Aimed at ensuring the long-term sustainable management and development of forests in the EU, the MAP is a follow-on from the 2013 Forest Strategy, updating the challenges which the sector faces, while still balancing the economic, social and environmental benefits of forests. EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan said today: "Forestry is one of the main sectors that keep our rural areas still vibrant and sustainable, providing over three million jobs in the EU. I believe that forestry is key in the transition towards a low-carbon and climate friendly economy. It is therefore important to keep the sector resilient to the ever-changing challenges it faces. Although the Rural Development Programmes (RDP) for 2014-2020 have not been finalised in all Member States, we estimate that, taking all 118 RDPs together, approximately €7.2 billion of public investment is programmed for the forest sector. The Forest multi-annual plan will assess how these measures could bring more added-value and how they could be applied more effectively." Forests are one of the most important land uses, covering about 40% of the EU total area, and have been expanding steadily over the last 50 years. Although the potential benefits are widely acknowledged - notably through the 2013 Forest Strategy which set a number of objectives to be achieved by 2020 - the challenges faced by the sector are evolving. More information is available here. (For more information: Daniel Rosario – Tel.: +32 229 56185; Clemence Robin – Tel.: +32 229 52509)