This dataset (https://zenodo.org/records/13333034) contains the ForestPaths next-generation forest disturbance maps for Europe (EFDA), presenting the longest time series of spatially explicit information on disturbances. The EFDA extends beyond past products by providing annual, wall-to-wall European forest disturbance maps since 1985 at 30 metres resolution. It highlights the need for providing a long timeframe that enables capturing multiple disturbance events and attributing the root cause of disturbance occurrence to improve the characterisation of disturbance regimes, requiring several decades of data to reliably quantify underlying distributions. The approach allows to produce disturbance information in a standardised way and in an open-access framework, with consistent quality across Europe’s forests. It contributes to paving the road towards an operational forest disturbance monitoring system in Europe that will support policy-makers in making timely decisions based on forest disturbance data to improve risk assessment and adaptation to climate change.