The working language of the Congress is English. Simultaneous translation in Italian will be provided only during the plenary session.
Participation in the Congress is free of charge and includes refreshments as well as relevant documentation. Participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs.

The congress will start with a plenary introductive session with presentations about the relationship between forest resources and socio-economic development of rural areas.
 

9.00- 13.00 - Plenary session
Welcome by the Organising Team Leaders

The congress will continue in the afternoon with parallel sessions which aim at analysing and describing, from different points of view, the role played by forest resources in the socio-economic development of rural areas. Each session will be chaired by a key-note speaker who will introduce the topic with an introductory presentation.
A rapporteur will join each one of the sessions with the specific task to summarise the contents of the contributions and to report the main results during the day-2 plenary session.
 

15.00-18.00 - Parallel sessions
 
Session 1 - Forests, conservation of biodiversity, landscape protection and public services
What does society require from forests? The role played by Rural Development Programs in encouraging forests to face new social and environmental challenges
 
Session 2 - Forests, agroforestry and bioenergies
Forest management in relation to the production of renewable energy. Utopia or real opportunity for the environment and for the development of rural areas? The role played by Rural Development Programs in supporting agroforestry and forest biomass production/use
 
Session 3 - Strategies for mitigation of and adaptation to climate change
How can forestry measures within Rural Development Programs contribute to contain climate change effects on European forests? Which adaptation measures can be implemented? Which strategy could be more convenient in a perspective of climate change mitigation: forest management or abandonment?
 
Session 4 - Competitiveness of the forest production sector: wood&non-wood products, supply chains and strategies for a forest-based local governance 
Wood and non-wood forest products supply: illusion or factual contribution to European economy and employment? Which role can be played by efficient supply chains and by forest-based local governance strategies in empowering the forest production sector in a perspective of rural development? Which contribution from Rural Development Programs? 

The second day will be opened by a plenary session during which parallel sessions' rapporteurs will present a synthesis of relevant issues discussed during the first day. A lecture by a representative of the European Commission will follow. Planned interventions by representatives of European forest stakeholders will close the morning.
 

9.00- 13.00 - Plenary session 

In the afternoon a Round table with EU Commission, Stakeholders and some representatives of national managing authorities will be carried out to draft a synthesis document with shared proposals for future forest strategies within EU Rural Development.
 

15.00- 17.30 - Round Table

Round table with EU Commission, Stakeholders and some representatives of National Managing Authorities: Drafting of a summary document reporting shared proposals for future forest strategies within EU Rural Development.