Phase VII 2025-2029

After 30 years of Pan-European collaboration, EUFORGEN, the European Forest Genetics Resources Programme embarks on its seventh Phase of collaborative work towards the conservation and sustainable use of forest genetic resources in Europe. This new Phase, spanning from 2025 to 2029, has been built around three strategic objectives based on EUFORGEN’s established mission: facilitating knowledge sharing and communicating with key stakeholders, coordinating the implementation of conservation of forest genetic resources (FGR) in Europe, and promoting the sustainable use of FGR.

Work starts with an evaluation of the EUFORGEN Programme to date, to ensure that the Programme continues to be dynamic and impactful, while advancing on the fruitful achievements of the past three decades. In parallel, and building on the renewed mandate of the Forest Europe process, key activities in Phase VII include the development of tools to safeguard threatened GCUs, the exploration on how in situ and ex situ conservation can best complement each other in these rapidly changing environmental conditions, the identification of conservation gaps in the GCU network, the promotion of genetic considerations into SFM practices, as well as the evaluation of genetic monitoring schemes. Furthermore, the major efforts begun in Phase VI to update EUFGIS, the European information system for forest genetic resources, will continue, with new advancements and tools, to transform data management and boost collaborative efforts for the conservation of forest genetic resources.

Throughout Phase VII, EUFORGEN will engage with a broad spectrum of stakeholders – forest owners, forest managers, policy makers, and the wider society – aiming to maintain a wide and relevant contribution towards more sustainable and resilient European forests.

• Strategic Objectives and Implementation Plan for Phase VII (2025-2029)
• Countries that have already signed the Letter of Agreement for Phase VII (see map)