International an EU forest policy

Subject description

Forests play an important role in achieving various goals at global, pan-European, EU and national levels by providing economic, ecological and social functions. Their importance has been increasing significantly in recent years, also in relation to the goals of other policies (e.g., climate goals, biodiversity goal, environmental goals, energy goals) as well as global ecological problems. In this course, students will learn about:

Ecological (environmental), economic and society reasons for development of international and EU forest policy
Historical overview of development of international and EU forest policy initiatives and processes
Forest- related cross-sectoral perspective and interes as key challenge for forest management at the global and EU levels
Basic data on forests and forest management at the global and EU levels
Global Forest goals and targets of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030
Contribution of forests to the Agenda on Sustainable Development 2030 (Sustainable Development Goals – SDG)
Criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management (e.g., C&I Forest Europe, FSC and PEFC)
Processes, agreements, conventions and protocols at international and pan-European level related to forests and forestry
Classification of processes, agreements, conventions and protocols at international and pan-European level related to forests and forestry
Forestry at the EU level (review of EU legislation and other documents related to forests and forestry)
Forest policy actors and institutions at the international, pan-European and EU level
Impact of international, pan-European and EU political processes/documents on forest policy and forest management at national and local level, especially in Slovenia

Seminar assignment: The seminar assignment is dedicated to the analysis of selected topics that have a central place in the discussions at the global and European level during the implementation of the course.

The subject is taught in programs

Objectives and competences

Objectives: Students learn about the most important problems related to forests and forestry at international, pan-European and EU level, as well as the most important processes and documents of forest policy and their influence on national legislation and forest management in Slovenia.

Competences: Students are able to independently, successfully and professionally understand and manage complex problems related to forest management; understand the processes, agreements, conventions and protocols at international, pan-European and EU level related to forests and forestry and their dynamics, identify and propose the necessary improvements in forest-related policies in Slovenia in the context of coordination with processes and policies at international, pan-European and EU level.

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures (selected chapters) or consultation

Guided seminar

The content of the subject is adapted to the profile of PhD students.

Expected study results

Knowledge and understanding: The student understand and is able to deal comprehensively with international, pan-European and EU problems and processes, agreements, conventions and protocols related to forests and forestry that influence national forest-related policies.

Basic sources and literature

KROTT M. 2005. Forest Policy Analysis, Springer, Dordrecht, 323 str.
WALLACE H., WALLACE W., POLLACK M. A. 2005. Policy-making in the European Union. 5th Edition: 570 str.
SENIOR NELLO S. 2005. The European Union Economics, Policies and History. McGraw-Hill Education, 462 str.
STERNER T., CORIA J. 2012. Policy Instruments for Environmental and Natural Resource Management. 2nd Edition. RFF Press: 657 str.
PÜLZL H., HOGL K., KLEINSCHMIT D., WYDRA D., ARTS B., MAYER P., PALAHI M., WINKEL G., WOLSLEHNER B. 2013. European Forest Governance: Issues at Stake and the Way Forward. What Science can tell us 2. EFI, Joensu, 102 str; https://efi.int/sites/default/files/files/publication-bank/2018/efi_wsctu2_2013.pdf
PÜLZL H., WYDRA D., HOGL K.. 2018. Piecemeal integration: Explaining and understanding 60 years of European Union forest policy making. Forests, 9 (11), 719; https://doi.org/10.3390/f9110719
SOTIROV M., POKORNY B., KLEINSCHMIT D., KANOWSKI P. 2020. International Forest Governance and Policy: Institutional Architecture and Pathways of Influence in Global Sustainability. Sustainability, 12(17), 7010; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12177010
JERBELLE, E., PÜLZL, H.. 2021. How are forests framed? An analysis of EU forest policy. Forest Policy and Economics, 127, 102448; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2021.102448
McDERMOTT C.L., ARAN C., WOOD P. 2007. International Forest Policy – the instruments, agreements and processes that shape it. Department of Economic and Social Affairs
United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat, 139 str. https://www.un.org/esa/forests/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Intl_Forest_Policy_instruments_agreements.pdf
Global Forest goals and targets of the UN Strategic plan for forests 2030. https://www.un.org/esa/forests/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Global-Forest-Goals-booklet-Apr-2019.pdf

Seznam izbranih člankov in drugih materialov, ki bodo potrebni za seminarsko nalogo bo pripravljen vsako leto sproti, glede na aktualne teme.