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european forest genetic resources programme

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Working groups

The working groups carry out specific tasks as identified by the Steering Committee. For each working group, selected experts from different countries are invited to provide their inputs to specific tasks based on their experience and knowledge. The working groups will meet once or twice while carrying out their work and the costs for travel and accommodation will be covered by EUFORGEN.

Participants for a given working group are selected from a pool of experts nominated by the National Coordinators. After a working group has been established, the Secretariat develops a tentative list of selected experts for approval by the Steering Committee. The Secretariat coordinates the work and provides technical and scientific inputs to the tasks of the working groups. Draft outputs of the working groups are also circulated to other experts who did not participate in the meetings. The working groups report their final outputs to the Steering Committee and present their results during the workshops and/or in EUFORGEN publications.

At its seventh meeting in early 2010, the Steering Committee is expected to develop an overall work plan for various activities during Phase IV, establish the first two working groups and select experts for them. Other working groups will be established later.

In June 2009, the Steering Committee identified the following tasks or themes (tentative) for the working groups (not in order of priority);

1. Assessment of gene conservation status of forest trees in Europe (based on the common action plans and the new data made available by the EUFGIS information system) and development of pan-European gene conservation strategies;
2. Development of genetic monitoring methods for gene conservation units of forest trees;
3. Development of guidelines for use and transfer of forest reproductive material in the face of climate change;
4. Incorporation of conservation and use of forest genetic resources into national forest programmes and other relevant policies and strategies (and how to support these kind of linkages at national level); and
5. Management of gene conservation units in the face of climate change.