Today, at a Government session, a series of decisions critical to the forest industry’s stability and development were adopted. This was announced by Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko.
“We have extended the validity of forest management materials for stable operation in wartime conditions,” said the Head of Government. “Due to the occupation and destruction of archives during hostilities, particularly in the north of Kyiv region, many forestry enterprises were unable to update their documents in time, so it is impossible to plan timber harvesting. This created risks of timber shortages and price increases. The Government’s decision solves this problem”.
Now, forest management materials that have expired remain valid:
– in regions of combat operations and temporary occupation — during martial law and for two years after its end;
– in regions without combat operations — until 1 January 2028.
This will ensure the continuity of forestry operations and enable the market to avoid unnecessary price fluctuations. “We are launching an important pilot project – an electronic exporter’s office as part of the Unified State System for Electronic Timber Accounting. This will help increase the transparency of the timber market in accordance with EU legislation and strengthen the position of Ukrainian exporters,” the Prime Minister said.
Now exporters will have the ability to verify the origin of timber using the logging ticket number, invoice, or tag through the electronic office. The information can be downloaded immediately and used to confirm the legal origin of products when exporting to EU countries.
The Government has updated the Operational Plan for the Implementation of the State Forest Management Strategy until 2035 (for 2025-2027). The goal is to ensure the sustainable development of forestry and the transparency of the management system.
“We are introducing changes based on the European model of forest management,” emphasised Yulia Svyrydenko.
The plan provides for: improving the forest management and monitoring system, creating a digital infrastructure for forest management, restoring forests in de-occupied territories, and increasing forest cover.
