Romania’s forests demand a voice in Brussels

In an unprecedented move, WWF-Romania, together with 75 organizations and institutions from all regions of the country, submitted to the Government the Manifesto “Forests – Central Pillar of the Future of Green Investments in Europe”, requesting a firm and visible position in the European negotiations in June for the recognition of forests as essential natural infrastructure and a strategic priority in the future budget of the European Union post-2027.

The document is signed by entities representing over 200,000 citizens – from forest owners, universities, local authorities, NGOs and civic groups, to professional and economic associations – thus reflecting the broadest public support ever expressed in Romania for a coherent forest policy at European level.

The manifesto was addressed to the interim Prime Minister Cătălin Predoiu and sent to the relevant ministries for their consideration. The signatories underline that Romania has the natural resources, technical expertise and legitimacy to request funds dedicated to forests, correlated with the essential services they provide: biodiversity protection, carbon storage, climate change adaptation and support for rural development.

WWF-Romania draws attention to the fact that key meetings will take place in the immediate future – the ECOFIN Council, the General Affairs Council and the European Council Summit – where the budgetary and political architecture of the EU post-2027 is being shaped. It is a rare strategic window for Romania to clearly express its vision and promote forests and sustainable forest bioeconomy as priorities of the European green transition.

The signatory organizations are calling on the Romanian Government to:

• Recognize forests as strategic infrastructure of the European Union;

• Allocate dedicated EU funds for the sustainable management of forests and support for the forest-based bioeconomy;

• Support green investments in forested rural areas;

• Provide fair compensation for the ecosystem services offered by forests.

This broad mobilization in Romania is also backed by the European Parliament Resolution on forest policies, which explicitly calls for “identifying dedicated funds to support foresters and farmers in the climate transition and nature conservation.” Romanian MEP Victor Negrescu, Vice-President of the European Parliament, expressed clear support during the “Forests – A Central Pillar of the Future of Green Investments in Europe” conference, reaffirming the essential role of forests in the future of the European Green Deal.

“Romania must say it loud and clear: forests matter. Not only for nature, but for people, the economy, health, and the future. It’s time for the Government to make forests a real priority in EU budget negotiations,” the Manifesto states.Forests cover over 43.5% of the European Union’s territory, yet receive disproportionately low financial support compared to their critical role in climate regulation, biodiversity, public health, and economic resilience. In the absence of dedicated financing and compensation mechanisms, conservation efforts remain underfunded, and forests’ potential to support a fair green transition is seriously compromised.

WWF-Romania and its partners remain open to working with national authorities to turn this strategic opportunity into a real benefit for nature, communities, and future generations.

“We, stakeholders from across public, private, academic, and civic sectors, united by a shared understanding of the strategic importance of forests, stand together behind a coherent and forward-looking vision for Europe’s future.
For the first time, Europe’s forest stewards, landowners, timber producers, conservationists, forest and protected area managers, researchers, educators, artists, craftsmen and artisans, representative of local communities and civil society speak with one voice: we call for a transformational shift in how the European Union values, invests in, and sustains its forests.
Forests must no longer be treated as a footnote in the EU’s green transition. They are its foundation. Europe’s forests require immediate and strategic, dedicated, and fair financial support to unlock their full potential — in climate action, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable
economic growth — and their place at the heart of the EU’s green investment agenda must be secured.
We call for a dedicated and fair financial framework that empowers forests to contribute fully to Europe’s competitiveness, climate resilience, and sustainability,” the manifesto begins.

The full document is available here.

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