Swedish Forest Industries

The Swedish Forest Industries Federation (SFIF) welcomes the additional 12 months proposed by the Commission to ensure proper implementation of the Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). SFIF urges the Council and the European Parliament to approve the Commission’s proposal swiftly.

The Swedish Forest Industries Federation (SFIF) appreciates the reelected President’s emphasis on boosting the EU's competitiveness alongside a continued dedication to ambitious environmental and climate goals. The SFIF also encourages the Commission to look at the implementation of the EUDR.

EU environment ministers, under the Belgian presidency of the Council of Ministers, have adopted the EU’s Nature Restoration Law by a narrow margin and with uncertainty surrounding Austria’s handling of the issue. The Swedish Forest Industries Federation (SFIF) supports the overall objective of restoring nature but believes that the agreement should have been more balanced.

The role of forests in the green transition topped the agenda when the EU Commission's Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra visited Sweden on Tuesday. Along with Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari, Director General of the Swedish Forest Industries Federation (SFIF) Viveka Beckeman, and representatives from environmental and forest owner organizations, Hoekstra made a field visit to a forestry site and discussed a range of issues, including how the Swedish forest industry can contribute to achieving the EU's climate goals.

On Monday, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Minister of Business, Industry and Innovation Ebba Busch, met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and visited a forest outside Knivsta, north of Stockholm. They discussed the Swedish forestry industry with landowners and chair of the Swedish Forest Industries Federation, Lotta Lyrå.

The Swedish Forest Industries Federation (SFIF) has joined the IUFRO World Congress as major partner, marking a strategic collaboration to enhance forest research and foster global knowledge exchange.

Personal finances is the single most important issue for Europeans, followed by climate change. A majority believes it is vital to replace fossil fuels with bio-based products in order to meet global sustainability goals. These are just some of the key findings of a major new European consumer survey carried out on behalf of the Swedish Forest Industries Federation (SFIF).

The EU Parliament recently gave its consent to the trilogue agreement on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations (PPWR). The Swedish Forest Industries Federation (SFIF) supports the legislation which aims to reduce the environmental impact of packaging in the context of its ambition to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

On the 23 April, the European Parliament gave its final consent to the agreement on the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) which aims to make sustainable products the norm in the European Union.

Kaisa Soro-Pesonen will join the Swedish Forest Industries Federation (SFIF) as Director and Head of the Brussels Office. Kaisa joins the SFIF from a position as Head of the Brussels Office for the Confederation of Finnish Industries. Kaisa has an extensive experience from working with EU decision-making and public affairs, both as Policy coordinator at the European Commission and Managing Director of Miltton Europe and Partner at Kreab in Brussels.

The Swedish Forest Industries' Federation has published its position on the EU's next political programme, highlighting four areas that need to be prioritized in the coming years. The Federation advocates for the continuation of the Union's ambitions in the climate and environmental domains, coupled with a strengthened focus on the circular bioeconomy and competitiveness.

The EU has agreed on a framework for the certification of carbon removals, following negotiations between the Commission, Parliament and the Council of Ministers. Swedish Forest Industries Director General Viveka Beckeman believes that the forest industry’s climate work may benefit from the scheme as long as it is not used to limit active forest management.

A recent study commissioned by the Swedish Forest Industries on the environmental effect of wood harvesting in Sweden shows that the climate will not be better off if wood harvesting was restricted, and carbon stored in the forest. The assumption, which is often applied in EU policy discussions, instead leads to higher fossil emissions and more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The forest bioeconomy is built on carbon circularity and wood harvesting. It provides for stable carbon storage in the forest as well as considerable displacement of fossil-based products. The conclusions are relevant for several on-going European Green Deal policy discussions, such as the revisions of the EU Forest Strategy, the LULUCF Regulation and the Renewable Energy Directive.