To tackle deforestation, biodiversity loss, and climate change, Europe is taking a lead role by adopting numerous policies (e.g., the Green Deal) related to access, management, and use of natural resources, aiming at transitions towards a sustainable, green, and just society. Thus, we are facing significantly increasing policy complexity that implies high possibilities of incoherence within domain-specific policies and among policy domains and policy levels. Multiple effects, as substantial trade-offs and spillovers can be further observed in further transposing of the EU policies to regional, national, sub-national, and consequently local levels. While on the decision-making level transition efforts might result in uncoordinated policies and ill-designed policy instruments, on the implementation level, this might manifest in inefficient and poor implementation that reflects in the unsatisfactory state of forests and other natural resources. Starting from the premise that forest genetic resources (FGR) are a basic constitutive unit of forest trees and ecosystems underpinning biodiversity, adaptation, and resilience, our contribution illustrates the complexity of polycentric forest governance by identifying social/system-level leverage points and potential strategic policy interventions, based on the case of FGR in Europe. Building on the literature review, expert interviews, and policy gap analysis within Horizon Europe project OptFORESTS (101081774), we analyzed policy gaps pertaining to FGR. We explored policy domains that both directly and indirectly relate to FGR in Europe, mapped current and forthcoming European policies, and identified types of policy instruments. Our results indicate that there are at least four policy domains to consider based on their sensu relation, as the manner by which they address FGR (sensu eminenti, stricto, lato, and amplo). By focusing on sensu relationships of policies at the intersection of different policy domains, we identified synergies and tradeoffs between policy instruments and pointed leverage points in policy areas that will be the key for future actions in facilitating sustainability transitions. To guide future policy reforms and adjustments for unlocking the potential of FGR for a more resilient environment and sustainable society, we provide a better understanding of policy (in)coherence among and within policy domains such as agriculture, environment, health, and technology.< Réduire