ThinkForest

EFI Member Countries have agreed to establish a high-level, Brussels-based discussion and information sharing forum for high-level policy makers. The forum is needed for facilitating and promoting focused dialogue on strategic and future-oriented forest policy issues. There is a clear need to strengthen communication, collaboration and partnership building between key policy makers in the EU, especially with the European Parliament, and between science community, member states and key stakeholder groups. It is necessary to react on the demands by European policy makers on short-term policy questions and medium-term strategic policy issues as well as to proactive in identifying emerging forest-related issues and information needs, and provide initiatives for actions critical and relevant for the development of forestry sector.

ThinkForest will

• establish mechanisms for regular communication and information sharing contacts with relevant Committees in the European Parliament, European Commission, EU Member States, EFI Member States, EFI Member Countries and key stakeholder group leaders.
• address emerging strategic issues, such as EU forest-related policies and actions, rural development strategies, international forest and environmental policies, FLEG(T), REDD, climate change, bioenergy, wood mobilization and competiveness of forest sector in order to achieve better policy cohesion.  
• utilize the best available expertise and the latest research-based information from EFI networks.  Interactive methods are used in order to have active dialogue on current forest-related questions.