Usse Information

The USSE is an European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG), founded in 1989, that unites different associations of forest owners who develop their activity in regions, communities or countries in the South of Europe belonging to the European Union. Our headquarters are located in Zamudio, Vizcaya, in the Basque Country, while we have another office in Maison de la Forêt, located at 6 Parvis des Chartrons, 33075 Bordeaux Cedex. The USSE was founded as the initiative of forest owner organisations of Basque Country, Galicia, Aquitaine, Castilla y León and Catalonia; today, we accommodate regional or national associations from Portugal, Spain, the Basque Country, Aquitaine and Greece. POLICY AREAS The priority issues of the USSE are those which define the course of international forest policy. In parallel to work on these subject matters, the USSE continues to develop and consolidate (where appropriate) European Forest Policy Instruments, which directly or indirectly influence many of the aforementioned areas. These include: ◉ Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). ◉ Rural Development Policy (Rural Development Programmes). ◉ EU Forest Strategy and the Multi-annual Implementation Plan of the EU Forest Strategy. ◉ Future of the possible Legally Binding Agreement on Forests in Europe in the framework of the FOREST EUROPE process.