FORESTS IN GREECE, FORESTS IN EUROPE 
The main body for protecting and managing the country's state forests as well as for supervising and keeping under control the private forests, is the Forest Service. This body operates under the name General Secretariat of Development and Protection of Forests and Natural Environment and consists of the Central Service and the Regional Services. The Central Service, which belongs to the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, is the inspecting instrument of the whole administrational structure of the Forest Service and consists of 6 Directorates. These are responsible for formulating forest policy, elaborating long-term programmes of forest development, monitoring scientific and technological development in managing forests, working out fire protection programmes, supervising and strengthening research programmes and finally promoting the country’s co-operation with EU, third countries and International Organisations.
The Regional Services, which belong to the Hellenic Ministry of Interior Decentralization and E-government, are the instruments for executing the instructions and forest policy in general formulated by the Central Service, but also for applying local programmes and studies. They are divided into Intraprefectural and Prefectural Services. The Intraprefectural Services consist of 7 Specific Regional Forest Inspectorates and 13 Forest Inspectorates for each of the 13 administrative regions of the country. The Prefectural Services consist of 31 Forest Directorates with 80 Forest District Offices and 24 Directorates without Forest District Offices, while 2 Directorates of Reforestation in Attica and Thessaloniki Prefectures are in operation. Also, within the framework of the Forest Service collective instruments such as the Revisional Council for the Property of Forests, the Forest Technical Council, the Forest Property Council and the Regional Councils and Committees operate.
Besides the Forest Service, other bodies that contribute to forest protection and development are the following:
• Panhellenic Confederation Union of Agricultural Co-operation (PASEGES)
• Forest Owners Association of Greece (F.O.A.)
• The Geotechnical Chamber of Greece (GEO.C.G.)
• The Hellenic Forestry Society (H.F.S.)
• Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) for Environmental protection such as the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature, the Hellenic Ornithological Society, the World Wide Fund for Nature Hellas, the Greek Biotope/Wetland Centre and the Arcturos Society.
Furthermore, two Forest Institutes carry out forest research and two University Forestry Schools and four Technological Educational Institutes of Forestry provide forestry education.
