The following took part in the meeting on the preparation of the White Paper* on the sector’s development: Olena Shulyak, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on the Organisation of State Authority, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning; Oleh Bondarenko, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management; Andrii Gerus, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Energy and Housing and Communal Services; Members of Parliament Oleksandr Kovalchuk, Bohdan Kitsak, Oleksandr Matusevych; Taras Vysotskyi, Deputy Minister of Economy; Volodymyr Buchko, Acting Head of the State Forest Resources Agency; Ihor Zubovych, Head of the State Enterprise ‘Forests of Ukraine’; representatives of the Office of the President, WWF-Ukraine, business associations and experts.
The forestry sector is not just a source of revenue for the state budget and a significant contributor to GDP. Social, environmental and even energy-related aspects play an equally important role. However, the pace of the sector’s development, according to the initiators of the White Paper, is insufficient. European countries manage to harvest significantly more timber and produce goods with higher added value. Ukraine, on the other hand, is hampered by excessive regulation, bureaucratic barriers and contradictions that hinder the expansion of its resource base.
To unlock the potential of forestry, the processing industry and the furniture sector, a strategy is needed that is based on a balance of interests. Such a strategy must be supported by all stakeholders – the state, business, local communities, environmentalists and academics.
That is why the initiators plan to involve representatives of all interested parties in the preparation of the terms of reference for the White Paper. The State Enterprise ‘Forests of Ukraine’ has been chosen as the venue for expert meetings and consultations.
“The first meeting was very constructive, as we share a common goal: to strengthen Ukraine, develop the economy, support the social sector, protect the environment and uphold the course towards European integration. “I would like to thank the project’s initiators for proposing the State Enterprise ‘Forests of Ukraine’ as a platform for developing a shared vision for the sector’s development. The company’s policy today is one of openness and a willingness to engage in dialogue. We are a state-owned company that puts the interests of the state and society first,” emphasised Ihor Zubovych.
*A white paper is an official or analytical report that examines a particular issue in detail and proposes specific ways of resolving it. It contains expert research and statistics, and often serves as a guide to decision-making.
