EU forest issues
Active participation in the processing of initiatives concerning the forest sector of the European Union is a high priority at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The preparatory EU sub-committee for forest affairs assists in the national preparation of the EU forest issues.
International cooperation
International agreements influence the national forest policy a great deal. It is important for Finland to take an active part in the preparation and implementation of international forest policy. Finland is an active party to all the major multilateral environmental agreements and processes which are relevant to forests, such as United Nations Forum on Forests UNFF, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC, Convention on Biological Diversity CBD, as well as FAO's work on forests. On regional co-operation the Forest Europe process (former MCPFE) is important. Important work in the forest sector is being done at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe - Timber Committee (UNECE/TC) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).Finland is also taking part to the forest cooperation practised under the Nordic Council of Ministers. In addition to the multilateral cooperation, Finland is encaged in bilateral cooperation with several countries. The Advisory Board for International Forest Policy assists the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in dealing with international forest policy issues and assessment of their impacts.
