The Forests for the Future Facility (F4) provides strategic and technical support to the European Commission and to partner countries, to contribute to healthy forest ecosystems able to create decent jobs and to enhance economic growth in partner countries. F4 has a demand-driven approach to improve the number, quality and effectiveness of EU interventions in the forest-relevant sectors. F4's main themes are linked to sustainable forest management, private sector investment, policy reforms and sustainable value chains.
The F4 serves as a platform for dialogue and exchange as well as practical cooperation to address the interlinkages between development, poverty reduction, trade, climate change, biodiversity and forest.
F4 is based on two mutually reinforcing pillars: on the one hand a platform for policy dialogue and knowledge exchange and on the other hand a source of technical and financial support to implement forest-related programmes.
Specifically, the F4 Facility constitutes a team of experts that provides technical assistance to the Commission staff (Commission Headquarter in Brussels and EU delegations, as appropriate) and partner countries to improve the quality of forest-relevant programmes or activities at any stage of their cycle (negotiation, programming, identification, formulation, implementation and evaluation).
The Facility is able to address the full spectrum of the forest sector from legal and sustainable forest management and conservation to trade and consumption aspects, by developing sustainable value chain analysis through a holistic approach, looking extensively at economic, social and environmental indications.
In this context, the Facility promotes the concept of Forest Partnership, integrating programming documents, Team Europe Initiatives and additional policies, which may arise.
Particular attention is given to the role of private sector (smallholder farmers, MSMEs) as a driver of inclusive and sustainable forest sector growth and to enhance civil society ability and capacity to participate in the decision-making and monitoring process.
The Facility also has to be able to assess and develop policies/strategies (reforms, governance, legal framework, institutional strengthening, financing plan, fiscal incentives) within the forest sector as well as sectors that may have an impact on forests, like agriculture, infrastructure, mining.