Recent data from Eurostat shows Cyprus has the lowest forest growth in the European Union. The island nation's forests grew by only 1.6 per cent. This is much lower than the EU average. Cyprus must import most of its wood. This situation is not expected to change soon.
Other EU countries have much higher forest growth. Portugal’s forests grew by 11.1 per cent. Denmark reported 7.6 per cent growth. Bulgaria and Estonia also showed good growth. Cyprus's low growth rate reflects a government policy.
The Cyprus Forestry Department is not focused on cutting down trees. Instead, they protect nature and wildlife. They also want to provide places for people to enjoy. This policy helps the environment and people. However, it means less wood is produced. Therefore, Cyprus imports a lot of timber.
This policy affects EU goals for forests and the economy. Cyprus's small timber growth means it does not add much to the EU's total wood. The country will tell the United Nations it will continue to protect its forests.
About 18 per cent of Cyprus is forest land. The government wants to keep these forests healthy. This protects plants and animals. It also gives people nice places to visit. However, because of this focus, Cyprus will keep importing wood. The Eurostat data shows Cyprus's important environmental choices.