FoRISK recognised in EU Council Recommendation on Integrated Wildfire Management

The Council Recommendation on Integrated Wildfire Management (a non-binding policy recommendation adopted by the Council of the European Union providing a common framework for EU Member States to improve how they prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from wildfires across the entire disaster risk management cycle), identifies FoRISK among the initiatives to foster international cooperation on integrated wildfire risk management. The Recommendation was adopted in response to increasingly severe wildfire seasons, particularly the record-breaking 2025 season in which more than one million hectares burned across the EU.

FoRISK, an implementation mechanism of Forest Europe hosted by EFI, is mentioned under Article 41 in the section on Measures to Strengthen International Engagement. This reference recognises FoRISK as a key initiative in the pan-European region supporting cooperation, knowledge exchange and capacity building on forest risks management, such as wildfires, windstorms, pests and diseases. 

The Recommendation follows the publication by the European Commission in March 2026 of the Communication on Integrated Wildfire Risk Management, which set out a comprehensive approach to cover the whole risk management cycle of prevention, preparedness, response and recovery across Europe. 

FoRISK goals are to enhance and maintain the resilience of forests and the forest sector within sustainable forest management, and to support forest adaptation to changing conditions to future forest disturbances, by creating a proactive, long-term network through international collaboration and cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange. 

Wildfires are among the most pressing manifestations of the abovementioned challenges, exacerbated by climate change. As climate change increases the frequency and severity of forest disturbances across the pan-European region, proactive and effective risk management requires coordinated action across sectors, disciplines and national borders. FoRISK contributes to this objective by facilitating and supporting the exchange of knowledge and good practices and helping translate scientific evidence into practical and policy-relevant solutions. FoRISK remains committed to supporting pan- European countries and stakeholders in strengthening integrated forest risk management and contributing to resilient forests and resilient societies across the region.