On Monday, August 25, 2025, recent results of the LIFE CROLIS project were presented at the “Wood Trade and Timber Raw Materials 2025” conference held at the Westin Hotel in Zagreb. LIFE CROLIS project manager of provided new information on the implementation of the LIFE CROLIS project and the deliverables that are publicly available for download and use.

The adopted EU legislative package “Fit for 55” introduced amendments to laws regulating climate and energy with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and creating conditions for achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Additionally, in the negotiation process, Member states are determining climate goals for 2040. As a result, numerous environmental and climate regulations have been or are being amended, setting new requirements for spatial data to ensure more accurate reporting and proper assessment of greenhouse gas reductions and carbon sinks.

At the annual “Wood Trade and Timber Raw Materials 2025” conference in Zagreb, organized by the professional journal Drvo&Namještaj for representatives of the wood industry and forestry sectors from Croatia and neighbouring countries, key challenges and trends in the sector were highlighted.

The conference provided a brief overview of the current situation in the sector. Demand for timber raw materials remains high, despite previous years marked by declining orders and liquidity issues. Exports of wood and wood products are directed toward Italy, Austria, Germany, and markets in North Africa and the Far East. The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) introduces new requirements for proving the origin and traceability of raw materials, impacting all stakeholders in the sector. Biomass and pellets are gaining increasing importance in the energy sector, with an emphasis on using damaged raw materials and afforestation plans.

Domagoj Stjepan Krnjak, project manager of LIFE CROLIS, in his presentation focused on the role of cascading use of wood in achieving the EU’s climate and energy policy goals. Mr. Krnjak informed participants about recent developments related to new EU regulations currently under negotiation, including the new Climate Law and the setting of greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for 2040. This also includes increasing carbon sinks in the LULUCF sector, which is being monitored by the LIFE CROLIS project. Mr. Krnjak also provided new information on the implementation of the LIFE CROLIS project and its deliverables, which can be used publicly. These include, for example, the normalized digital surface model (nDSM) of the Republic of Croatia and other available data and expert papers and analysis developed during the creation of the National Land Information System of the Republic of Croatia, which can be downloaded via the project website or through project partner websites.

Presentation in Croatian language can be downloaded here.

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