In 2025 we meet from 5th to 7th of June in the British city of Canterbury.
Nestled in the heart of Kent, Canterbury is a city steeped in rich history and vibrant culture, known for its stunning medieval architecture and the majestic Canterbury Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With its charming cobbled streets and picturesque gardens, the city invites exploration and offers a delightful blend of tradition and modernity. As we gather for the 68th Annual General Meeting, attendees will have the perfect opportunity to soak in the city’s captivating atmosphere, engage with local heritage, and connect with fellow professionals in this enchanting setting.
In addition to the Annual General Meeting, we enjoyed a visit to Canterbury Cathedral as part of our side program, and on the final day, we had the opportunity to tour the OAKVOER tree nursery, where we received an insightful presentation on the innovative Tape4Trees planter.
Official Report
The President, Mr. Torben Leisgaard, welcomed everybody to the meeting and especially the 5 new Delegates: Riitta Väisänen, Hilde Hoff Skinnes, Henk Huijsman, Christof Hartleitner and Imke Bunk. The President advised that Finland have decided to join EFNA from 2025.
In the Presidents report he addressed the major issues of insecurity in the marketplace, due to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and the climate also making the conditions for the forest nurseries extremely challenging. While EFNA are working to achieve more members – it must be remembered that the EFNA Constitution makes clear only countries with National private sector Forest nursery Trade Associations can obtain membership. This is a difficulty for some countries as they don’t have these organizations yet. Intensifying networking between forest nurseries is becoming more and more important.
The development of the EU proposal on the Regulation of forest reproductive material (FRM) has the forest nurseries foremost attention. EFNA has made input on several items in the proposal and will make a proposal on species (Annex 1) that are relevant to forestry. If the EU Council agree on a version under the Polish presidency this will be the final version to be treated in the Trialogue between the EU Commission, EU Council and the EU Parliament.
EFNA is involved in the EU Horizon 2030 project OptFORESTS. At the meeting they had a presentation on the first result of the grand survey on forest nurseries and tree seed, and a discussion on recommendations to policy makers and the stakeholders involved in forestry, so that conditions for the production of timber and trade compliance can be achieved. The most important challenges are production planning, seed supply and qualified staff.
The Swedish delegate, Oskar Skogström, was elected as the future Vice President. The President Torben Leisgaard, from Denmark accepted to continue for 2 more years until Sweden can take over.
