The politics of an EU forest information system: Unpacking distributive conflicts associated with the use of forest information

Abstract The development of a forest information system on forest resources has been on the European Union (EU) policy agenda for the past 20 years. Yet, despite agenda setting and various supporting initiatives, an operational EU forest information system has not been built yet. We build upon the analytical concept of positive coordination in political sciences, and aim to explore whether and how distributive conflicts associated with the use of forest information are a factor hindering the development of a European forest information system. Empirically, the study builds upon a qualitative research approach and aims to explore and identify perceived gains and losses associated with the use of forest information. For this, we conduct a series of in-depth interviews with key actors relevant to the development of the information system. Two closely interlinked distributive conflicts emerged from our analysis. The first one shapes around the potential use of forest information as a tool for maintaining political authority or expanding competences over forest resources. The second one entails conflicting issues about the potential strategic use of forest information to serve wood production at the expense of forest protection interests, and vice versa. The study concludes that forest information is much more than a neutral and objective form of scientific and technical expertise. It is politicized and used as a political asset that can be framed or utilized strategically for political gains. This leads to distributive conflicts, which in turn hinder the establishment of collaborative relationships and the development of an operational EU forest information system.