The EU Forestry Strategy was adopted in 1998, following a Resolution of the European Parliament calling for the Commission to put forward a proposal for such a strategy and a Communication from the Commission which highlighted the challenges facing the EU forests, the policy and legal framework for forests and forestry in the EU as well as common objectives and guiding principles for the roles of the EU and the Member States in forest policy. The Forestry Strategy has served as a reference document for i.e. forestry measures in Rural Development and as a basis for the EU Forest Action Plan. The Forestry Strategy is related to several EU policies and objectives, in particular: agriculture and rural development, environment, climate change, biodiversity, plant health, research and innovation, trade, industry and energy. In 2005 the Commission adopted a report on the implementation of the EU Forestry Strategy, concluding that the basic principles and elements identified in the EU Forestry Strategy of 1998 were still valid. However, it also observed a need for a more coherent and pro-active approach to forest policy at EU level. Therefore the Commission presented an EU Forest Action Plan in 2006.

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