Mapping and assessment of primary and old-growth forests in Europe

This report presents an assessment of the knowledge and documented spatial data on primary and old-growth forests in the EU, as well as in some neighbouring countries. The EU's biodiversity strategy to 2030 recognises the value of primary and old-growth forests, and calls for their strict protection. This report provides a knowledge base contributing to the process of developing guidelines for the definition, mapping, monitoring and strictly protecting all the EU's remaining primary and old-growth forests. This process is coordinated by the Working Group on Forest and Nature (sub-group of the Coordination Group on Biodiversity and Nature), which brings together representatives of the forestry and nature conservation national authorities and relevant stakeholders.