Did Lithuania use one more chance to create a National Forest Programme? – An integrated evaluation of the National Agreement on Forests

This study explores Lithuania’s National Agreement on Forests (NAF) as a potential framework for better forest governance, focusing on its alignment with the principles set by the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE). Through document analysis, stakeholder interviews, and power analysis, we assess how well the NAF fosters inclusiveness, inter-sectoral collaboration, long-term commitment, and capacity building. Our findings reveal that while the NAF has made notable progress in improving stakeholder participation, challenges persist in integrating different sectors and addressing conflicts between economic and ecological priorities. Overall, the study concludes that the NAF is a step forward toward a National Forest Programme, though it needs further refinement to achieve long-term sustainability and policy coherence.