<\/p>\n
The European Business Association has approached relevant state authorities with a set of proposals aimed at improving the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure in the forestry sector. The document was developed based on a series of meetings and discussions involving representatives of sectoral associations, domestic wood-processing enterprises, and government bodies.<\/p>\n
The main objective of the initiative is to harmonise national legislation with the requirements of Directive 2011\/92\/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011. In particular, the EIA procedure should apply only in cases where there is a change in land use (e.g. afforestation or deforestation). Currently, according to experts and member companies of the EBA, the existing Law of Ukraine \u201cOn Environmental Impact Assessment\u201d does not fully reflect the requirements of Annex II to the Directive, resulting in excessive regulation and duplication of procedures. Businesses emphasise that this not only delays decision-making processes but also hampers the timely elimination of the consequences of forest fires, windthrows, and storm damages. As a result, valuable timber that could otherwise be harvested promptly is lost.<\/p>\n
Member companies of the EBA also draw particular attention to the situation in the timber market. Due to limited harvesting volumes, there is increased excitement during exchange trading, which leads to higher prices and reduced competitiveness of Ukrainian wood-processing enterprises, both on the domestic and international markets.<\/p>\n
Given the export-oriented nature of the sector, the EBA calls for the swift implementation of effective solutions to ensure a stable export regime and support the sector\u2019s economic resilience.<\/p>\n
The issue of improving the EIA procedure in the forestry field is already gaining traction at the state level. Following a meeting between representatives of major wood-processing businesses and the State Agency of Ukraine in early June this year, the harmonisation of legislation with EU standards was identified as one of the key priorities for future cooperation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The European Business Association has approached relevant state authorities with a set of proposals aimed at improving the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure in the forestry sector. The document was developed based on a series of meetings and discussions involving representatives of sectoral associations, domestic wood-processing enterprises, and government bodies. The main objective of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33544,"featured_media":652031,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[4,5,22],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n