Recent meetings
| Date | Commissioner / Cabinet | Topic | File |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 2026 | Anne-Maud Orlinski Cabinet member | Biomass, sustainability criteria, Renewable Energy | — |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Anne-Maud Orlinski Cabinet member | Biomass, sustainability criteria, Renewable Energy | SRC |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Peter Wehrheim Head of Unit | Request for a discussion the outcome of the bioeconomy strategy. | SRC |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Peter Wehrheim Head of Unit | Request for a discussion the outcome of the bioeconomy strategy. | — |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Monika Hencsey Director | Discussion about the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) | — |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Monika Hencsey Director | Discussion about the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) | SRC |
| 19 Nov 2025 | Kerstin Jorna Director-General | Exchange of views on raw materials, on the side of the EU Raw Materials Week 2025 | SRC |
| 19 Nov 2025 | Kerstin Jorna Director-General | Exchange of views on raw materials, on the side of the EU Raw Materials Week 2025 | — |
| 12 Nov 2025 | Taru Haapaniemi Cabinet member | Meeting on the findings of the FERN report “Funding resilient forests: Rethinking EU and State subsidies”. | — |
| 12 Nov 2025 | Taru Haapaniemi Cabinet member | Meeting on the findings of the FERN report “Funding resilient forests: Rethinking EU and State subsidies”. | SRC |
| 15 Oct 2025 | Humberto Delgado Rosa Director | Relevance of EU policy to support the targets of preventing deforestation/illegal logging and to ensure maintenance of biodiversity in forests. Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) Nature Restoration Law (NRL) Forest Monitoring Law (FML) proposal | — |
| 15 Oct 2025 | Humberto Delgado Rosa Director | Relevance of EU policy to support the targets of preventing deforestation/illegal logging and to ensure maintenance of biodiversity in forests. Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) Nature Restoration Law (NRL) Forest Monitoring Law (FML) proposal | SRC |
| 27 Aug 2025 | Matthieu Moulonguet Cabinet member | Carbon Farming and Carbon Removal Certification | — |
| 27 Aug 2025 | Matthieu Moulonguet Cabinet member | Carbon Farming and Carbon Removal Certification | SRC |
| 17 Jul 2025 | Taru Haapaniemi Cabinet member | Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) | SRC |
| 17 Jul 2025 | Taru Haapaniemi Cabinet member | Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) | — |
| 27 May 2025 | Luis Planas Herrera Cabinet member | EUDR | — |
| 27 May 2025 | Luis Planas Herrera Cabinet member | EUDR | SRC |
| 22 May 2025 | Taru Haapaniemi Cabinet member | LIFE funding, opportunities and barriers of closer-to-nature forest management | — |
| 22 May 2025 | Taru Haapaniemi Cabinet member | LIFE funding, opportunities and barriers of closer-to-nature forest management | SRC |
| 14 May 2025 | Luis Planas Herrera Cabinet member | The Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) | SRC |
| 14 May 2025 | Luis Planas Herrera Cabinet member | The Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) | — |
| 30 Apr 2025 | Alisa Tiganj Cabinet member | Sustainable Protein Diversification for the Vision | SRC |
| 30 Apr 2025 | Alisa Tiganj Cabinet member | Sustainable Protein Diversification for the Vision | — |
| 25 Feb 2025 | Alisa Tiganj Cabinet member | Vision for Agriculture & Food Exchange of views on the Vision on agriculture and food, in particular aspects related to the “food” aspects. | — |
Mission & Goals
Fern is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) created in 1995 to keep track of the European Union’s involvement in forests and coordinate NGO activities at the European level. Our work centres on forests and forest peoples’ rights and the issues that affect them such as trade and investment and climate change. All of our work is done in close collaboration with social and environmental organisations and movements across the world. The name Fern was chosen because ferns are one of the few species that grow in all forests. Fern has no director and strives to make decisions by consensus. This drives our way of working which is to open rather than occupy space for dialogue on the issues that affect forests and the environment. Fern’s Vision Fern seeks a world in which environmental, social and economic justice is fully integrated at all levels and people have a voice in decisions affecting their lives and livelihoods.
EU Legislative Interests
New EU Forest Strategy for 2030, Proposal for a Regulation on a Forest Monitoring Framework (COM(2023)728), Nature Restoration Law (2022/0195 COD), Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034, Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Certification (CRCF) Regulation (2022/0394 COD), Europe's 2040 climate targets (COM(2024)63), LULUCF Regulation (2018/841), Roadmap towards Nature credits (COM/2025/374), Renewable Energy Directive ((EU) 2023/2413), Revised EU Bioeconomy Strategy, EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) (Regulation (EU) 2023/1115), Strategic Framework for International Cooperation Engagement (C(2024)7028), EU Communication on stepping up EU action to protect and restore the world's forests (2019), FLEGT Regulation (EC No 2173/2005), FLEGT Implementing Regulations (1024/2008), FLEGT Action Plan (COM(2003)251), FLEGT Voluntary Partnership Agreements, EU Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) Regulation (EU) 2024/1252, EU Battery Regulation (2023/1542), COM(2023)165 "A secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials in support of the twin transition", European Commission's 8th Environment Action Programme, Directive 2006/21/EC on the management of waste from extractive industries, Vision for Agriculture & Food (COM/2025/75), Directive on unfair trading practices (EU Directive 2019/633), EU Action plan on Plant based diets, EU protein diversification strategy, EU Action Plan on Cardiovascular Health, EU Directive on Public Procurement (2014/24/EU)
Communication Activities
We publish multiple publications (reports, briefing notes...) every year on our website and we release a monthly newsletter Forest Watch. We hold a few events annually on forest-related topics, where we often invite EU representative to attend too.
Interests Represented
Does not represent commercial interests
Member Of
Climate Action Network, European Environmental Bureau, VOICE Network
Organisation Members
https://www.fern.org/how-we-work/how-we-work-with-our-partners/
Additional Information
The total budget of perceived income that came from the various grants is of 4,488,493 EUR, out of which 1,198,451 EUR (26.70% of the total budget) was retroceded to our national partner organisations and networks. Audited accounts can be found here: https://www.fern.org/fileadmin/uploads/fern/Documents/2025/Fern_2024_Accounts_audited.pdf