Ukraine will launch an electronic exporter's office, which will serve as a gateway for domestic products to the EU market. In addition, the government has extended the validity period of forest management documents so as not to disrupt the work of forestry enterprises, and has updated the operational plan for the forestry strategy.
The decisions were announced by the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Economy.
Launch of the electronic exporter's office
This tool will allow the origin of timber to be controlled and its entire path from harvesting to export to be traced. The Ministry of Economy adds that the decision complies with EU standards and is the next step in harmonization with European Regulation 2023/1115.
The pilot project will operate within the framework of the Unified State System for Electronic Timber Accounting. Through the electronic office, it will be possible to find out the geographical coordinates of harvesting sites using the number of the logging ticket, tag, or waybill. The information from the office can be used during export as proof of the legality of the products.
The use of this tool will block access to illegally harvested timber to the market, while opening European markets to Ukrainian products. The pilot project will run for three years, after which the government plans to analyze the tool’s effectiveness and provide suggestions for the final implementation of the European Union’s requirements.
Extension of the validity period of forest management materials
Due to hostilities and occupation, a number of forestry enterprises did not have time to prepare a new package of forest management documents. These include logging and restoration funds, materials for dividing forests into categories, and tax descriptions. According to the law, harvesting is impossible without these documents, which has called into question the formation of timber stocks for domestic needs and export.
In order not to suspend the activities of forestry enterprises, the government has extended the validity of existing documents. For enterprises in temporarily occupied territories and within the combat zone, the old materials will remain valid for two years after the end of martial law. In other regions, forest management documents will remain valid until January 1, 2028.
A step towards the European model of forest management
The government has updated the Operational Plan for the Implementation of the State Forest Management Strategy until 2035. The document is another tool for implementing EU standards, as well as a basis for effective forest restoration.
The operational plan for the next three years includes the following measures:
- modernization of forest resource management and control, including a national forest inventory;
- development of digital architecture for the effective functioning of the forest sector;
- restoration of forests in territories liberated from enemy occupation;
- expansion of forested areas;
- adaptation of forests to climate change while preserving biological diversity.
ЕcoPolitic reported that foresters announced the successful planting of one billion trees as part of the “Green Country” program. However, experts and the public consider the value of this initiative to be somewhat overstated.
The European Union is postponing the adoption of a law that was supposed to save forests from destruction due to the development of the agricultural sector.
