Catalyst for innovation in European forest policy sciences. Evaluation of the EFI Research Program 3: policy analysis

The performance of program area 3 policy analysis has been evaluated during the decade since 1994. The program area has promoted and conducted 16 major projects covering a wide range of topics of forest policy and published seven working papers, three reviewed research reports and nine proceedings. The strength of the program area does not lie in conducting research by its own small resources, but in networking throughout Europe, the program area 3 became a catalyst for innovation in forest policy research done in co-operation with member research institutions. By networking, innovative topics have been promoted and the social science-based analysis of forest policy have been strengthened. Seminars with participants from all over Europe disseminated the scientific findings among researchers and stakeholders. Open networking was especially successful in integrating forest policy researchers from countries with economies in transition. Future challenges are research in European integration and comparative projects in forest policy. Furthermore, program area 3 could gather the European potential of researchers to foster the discipline forest policy science in the future.