Ukraine, seeking to integrate into the European Union, faces the need to harmonize its legislation with European norms. Special challenges are caused by draft law 9516, which provides for the liberalization of the rules for sanitary felling of forests, while ignoring critical environmental requirements and European integration obligations of Ukraine.
The European Union requires special protection of ancient forests and protection of at least 10% of the country's territories from economic activity. Draft Law 9516, unfortunately, may undermine Ukraine's efforts in this direction, as it proposes to eliminate the mandatory environmental impact assessment for sanitary logging.
Ukraine has made significant progress in the protection of forests, thanks to the cooperation of non-governmental organizations and the state, especially in national parks and reserves. Law "On Environmental Impact Assessments" In 2017, significantly increased the level of forest protection. However, with the beginning of the war, the state-owned enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" was created, which, according to critics, continues to simplify processes that can harm ecosystems.
Bill 9516 has received support from some national parks, which is a cause for concern among environmentalists, because it could contribute to an increase in the volume of logging in protected areas.
Abolition of the environmental impact assessment could open the door to massive unwarranted logging, especially in the valuable ancient forests of the Carpathians. This poses a serious threat to biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability. In addition, the presence of a sufficient amount of wood on the market and ineffective stock management indicate the possibility of maintaining strict environmental standards without harming economic activity.
Instead of canceling important impact assessments, Ukraine should focus efforts on improving forest management, taking into account international standards and EU experience. This will allow the country not only to preserve its natural wealth, but also to demonstrate its commitment to the principles of sustainable development within the framework of European integration processes.
