WoodPoP meets online for the 7th Expert Group Meeting
The European Wood Policy Platform (WoodPoP) convened its 7th Expert Group Meeting online on 23 September 2025. Georg Rappold, Chair of the Platform, opened the session by recalling the last Expert Group Meeting in Zurich earlier this year, before members turned to progress updates across the platform.
The Secretariat reported that the Wood Policy Paper has now been translated into French, Slovenian, German and Czech, with Finnish, Italian and Portuguese versions soon to follow. Updates from the five Technical Working Groups (TWGs) showed strong activity across Governance, Building, Research & Innovation, Education & Vocational Training, and Information & Communication. Highlights included the preparation of the Extended Technical Brief on Public Procurement of Wooden Buildings led by TWG Building, new task forces within the Technical Working Group Innovation and Research on tackling regulatory, financing and innovation challenges, and a policy brief on skills and training in the wood sector prepared by the TWG Education and Vocational Training. TWG Information & Communication also confirmed the name of the WoodPoP Dara Award and outlined the communication strategy leading up to the first award ceremony in 2026.
The Secretariat complemented these updates with progress on WoodPoP’s communication and knowledge-sharing platforms, including the WoodPoP NextCloud server, the website, the newsletter WoodFlash and the growing LinkedIn audience.
Members also discussed the launch of the WoodPoP Dara Award, the eligibility criteria for applicants, and the multi-phase communication plan for its promotion.
Looking ahead, the Expert Group turned its focus to the upcoming 4th High Level Meeting in Izola, Slovenia, on 15 October 2025. Participants reviewed the draft Outcome Statement, which will shape the exchange of views among high-level representatives. The meeting also introduced the Principles for Responsible Timber Construction. The Principles were informed through consultation with many experts across the value chain and inputs from governments represented in the Forest & Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP) ‘Greening Construction with Sustainable Wood’ Working Group over the course of 2024/25. The work and the current endorsement process are led by Built By Nature.
The strong engagement of members in this meeting once again highlighted the collaborative spirit of WoodPoP in advancing a sustainable, wood-based circular bioeconomy.
For more information, refer to the following links:
- The WoodPoP 4th High Level Meeting
- The Prologue V at the 29th International Holzbau Forum on 3 December 2025 in Innsbruck, Austria
- “The Wood-Based Sector Requires a Skilled Workforce to Propel Europe Towards a Sustainable Future” – the Policy Brief of the WoodPoP Technical Working Group on ‘Education and Vocational Training’ (TWG EVT)
- The WoodPoP Dara Award
- “A Wood-based Circular Bioeconomy For A Sustainable Europe: Green Construction and Innovative Wood Solutions” – the Wood Policy Paper of WoodPoP
