Tuula Packalen joins the Board of the European Forest Institute

Tuula Packalen, Research Professor at the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), has been elected to the Board of the European Forest Institute (EFI) for a three-year term.   

The appointment strengthens the visibility of Finnish forest research expertise in European forest policy and research collaboration.  

Packalen has extensive experience in forest use planning and forest-related policy processes, not only at Luke but also at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland. She has also previously served as a program director at EFI. 

“I have followed EFI’s activities since its inception and have been involved in its operations in various roles. EFI has grown into a joint initiative of 30 European countries and 130 member organizations. In an increasingly complex world, EFI and its Board play an even more important role in strengthening international cooperation. It is a great honor to serve on the Board,” says Tuula Packalen.  

Packalen was elected to the Board by the Council, which consists of representatives from member countries. Finland is represented on the Council by Tatu Torniainen, a Ministerial Adviser at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.   

“It’s excellent that we’re getting an expert like Tuula on the Board. Her insights and experience in forestry research and management are crucial for developing EFI’s operations at a time when European forests and their use are facing increasingly diverse expectations and goals,” says Torniainen.  

EFI is an international forestry organization established by European countries that produces, compiles, and publishes policy-relevant information on forests and the forest bioeconomy. Its goal is also to promote networking within the forestry sector and the use of research data in Europe. EFI’s headquarters is located in Joensuu.