Factsheet: Forest in South East Europe

European forests cover 227 million ha (35% of land, excl. Russia), with only ~2% undisturbed by humans. Wood consumption averaged 1.1 m³ per capita in 2015 (highest in Northern Europe 2.6 m³, lowest in South-East 0.7 m³). Total growing stock reaches 35 billion m³, while EU-27 forests removed ~249 Mt CO₂e in 2019 (≈7% of EU GHG emissions). Forest area and FAWS are concentrated in Central/Northern Europe (often >90% of area available for wood supply), whereas Southern regions hold more other wooded land (e.g., 14% of land in South-West Europe). National and EU strategies target increased carbon sequestration, sustainable wood use, afforestation and fire prevention, and improved management, but face funding, land-use competition, climate risks and coordination gaps.