The aim of our Working Party is to promote international co-operation between forest pathologists working primarily with shoot, foliage and stem diseases.  Meetings of the Working Party are organised at intervals of 2 to 4 years. The number of participants in these meetings range from 40 – 60. The atmosphere of our meetings is relaxed and designed for creative exchanges of ideas to motivate both young and senior researchers.

The Scleroderris canker of pines was the first topic of our Working Party. More recently the spectrum of diseases has become more diversified to include foliage and stem diseases of conifer and hardwood species. Research subjects of our working group include control of diseases in forests and plantations and also basic research on pathogen biology and mechanisms of host resistance.