AFF – HLG Monthly Monitoring of EU Forest Value Chains
Vol. I, No. 2, August 2024
This monthly newsletter, produced by the HLG on Forestry & Biomaterials with support from SAPPI, aims to stimulate joint thinking on the research and development of a climate-neutral bioeconomy.
The High-Level Group on EU Policy Innovation: Forestry and Biomaterials (HLG-FB) is one of the independent public-private think tanks which operates as advisory body for the European Union institutions. A partnership involving the HLG-FB and the African Forest Forum (AFF) is evolving.
AFF is an association of individuals who share the quest for, and commitment to the sustainable management, use and conservation of the forest and tree resources of Africa for socio-economic wellbeing of its peoples and for the stability and improvement of its environment.
This partnership aims to provide a framework of cooperation and understanding and to facilitate collaboration between the Parties to further their shared goals and objectives regarding African forestry and its support to socio-economic wellbeing of Africa’s peoples and for the stability and improvement of the environment.
Arising from these shared goals, the AFF team comprising the Executive Secretary, Labode POPOOLA and the Technical Advisor, Godwin KOWERO were invited to Brussels, Belgium to interact with key stakeholders at the EU and other organizations. The trip, held during 12 to 17 May, 2024 comprised meetings with the following Directorates-General of the European Commission:
- Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
- Directorate-General for Environment
- Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
- Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA)
- Directorate-General Agriculture and Rural Development
On 14 May, 2024 a lunch debate involving over 20 Ambassadors and diplomats from African countries, and the Director General of the Belgian Foreign Ministry, previously occupying the Presidency of the Council (of Ministers) in the EU, and the management of one of Africa’s leading forestry and bioeconomic companies, SAPPI, was held at which a presentation was made by the AFF on emerging issues in African Forestry and the increasing relevance of the sector in the economies of the countries in the continent. Additionally, the AFF met with the leadership of the European Forest Institute.