About us
FoRISK was established in October 2024 after Signatories of the 9th Ministerial Conference of FOREST EUROPE endorsed the Bonn Ministerial Decision. The FoRISK Secretariat officially started work in January 2025 and is hosted by the European Forest Institute (EFI) in Bonn, Germany. FoRISK serves as a collaborative and knowledge exchange hub, designed to integrate all pan-European countries and forest risk experts in a communal, interactive and informative exchange setting.
As part of the broader FOREST EUROPE (FE) initiative, FoRISK aligns with its mission to safeguard and sustainably manage Europe’s forests. Since 1990, FOREST EUROPE, a voluntary high-level policy process that has united 44 countries and the EU in shaping common strategies to ensure forest health, resilience, and longevity.
FoRISK’s conceptual foundation was laid by the FRISK-GO start-up project (October 2013–September 2016), led by the European Forest Institute and funded by Germany’s Ministry for Food and Agriculture. Acting as a blueprint for what FoRISK would become, FRISK-GO aimed to bridge science, policy, and practice to mitigate forest disturbance risks across Europe. It defined key structural pillars, developed a comprehensive business plan, and piloted mechanisms that now form the core of FoRISK’s operational model. By turning vision into viability, FRISK-GO set the stage for a Facility that not only coordinates responses but fosters a pan-European learning and support network for forest resilience.
FoRISK was also spearheaded by the SURE project (Sustainability and Enhancing Resilience of European Forests), which was a predecessor project for the forest risk facility. Running from September 2017 to August 2020 and funded through the BMEL project, SURE aimed to enhance forest resilience and address disturbance-related risks as an integral part of sustainable forest management by facilitating networking, learning, and capacity-building interactions between science, policy, and practice. After three years of fostering collaboration across these sectors, the SURE project reached its conclusion, laying the foundation for FoRISK’s establishment.
In 2020, under the German Chairmanship, FOREST EUROPE launched a Pilot Phase to assess the functionality and impact of the emerging FoRISK facility. Conducted from 2021 to 2024, the pilot demonstrated FoRISK’s capacity to strengthen international cooperation and contribute meaningfully to forest resilience and adaptation efforts across Europe.
FoRISK functions within an inclusive framework that unites a diverse range of stakeholders. The network is administered, and its activities coordinated by the Secretariat through a coordinator, experts, and researchers. FoRISK also has support from the Steering Committee with strategic guidance and decision-making support. Membership in the Steering Committee is open to all signatories of FOREST EUROPE. The current member states include the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovakia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The Secretariat is supported from 2025-2030 by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity, Germany.
FoRISK also contains a group of National Focal Points, appointed by these signatories. These individuals serve as official representatives of their countries involved with FoRISK activities and act as mediators between FoRISK and national agencies. Representatives from observer countries and organizations are also included in the FoRISK facilitation. FoRISK experts are also nominated by the National Focal Points group or selected by the FoRISK Secretariat to contribute their expertise.
Since its pilot phase, FoRISK has made significant strides in fostering international cooperation by organizing a series of impactful events, workshops and webinars. These gatherings held in Spain, the Czech Republic, and Germany have brought together a broad spectrum of experts and stakeholders to advance dialogue, share insights, and exchange knowledge on forest risks and resilience.
One of the first major cases FoRISK worked on was supporting Ireland’s Ministry of Agriculture after Storm Éowyn in January 2025. FoRISK, together with highly regarded experts, met in Dublin to provide support and foster collaboration to help the country’s forests recover and prepare for future windstorms. Since then, the partnership has evolved into a forward-looking initiative with new proposals, workshops, and capacity-building activities. FoRISK delivered dedicated support in Ireland, and is now actively contributing to the development of a comprehensive wind-blow national strategy.
