(note from zemeunvalsts.lv)

The neighbouring country's minister's conclusion is unfortunately not a surprise, as often with us, too, the pervasive activity of the ignorant is treated as equivalent to knowledge and experience. Far too little attention is paid to the competence and knowledge of decision-makers or those drafting decisions, a lack of which is felt both in Latvia and in European bureaucratic structures. This needs to change rapidly!

“Finns do not cut down trees and leave the area empty or untidy. The forest is always regenerated by planting or sowing,” says Finland's new Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Antti Kurvinen.

The Minister concluded that the European Commission and the European Parliament are uninformed and effectively know nothing about Finnish forests and forest policy, which is unacceptable at a time when the European Union is preparing a new forest strategy. Finland believes that it does not pay sufficient attention to the bioeconomy.

Compared to climate and biodiversity issues, responsible wood utilisation and wood products are dealt with only in passing.

Antti Kurvinen (Centre Party) began his tenure as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry at the beginning of May. He does not comment on Finland's position but points out that the EU lacks sufficient understanding of forest management and forest policy in Finland (and beyond).

For example, regarding forest regeneration after logging. The Minister believes that the EU is provided with one-sided information about deforestation. “The people dealing with these issues in the EU perhaps think that forest felling in Finland is equivalent to forest destruction, that a clear-cut area is simply abandoned and nothing will ever grow there again,” says A. Kurvinen. (...)