The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Ukraine has expressed serious reservations about draft law No. 9516, which may significantly change approaches to sanitary logging in the country. This draft law, which will soon be put to a vote in the Verkhovna Rada, proposes to abandon the assessment of the impact of these fellings on the environment.
According to representatives of WWF-Ukraine, the adoption of this draft law may lead to uncontrolled felling of approximately 80% of forests of natural origin. Such actions can endanger valuable ancient forests, which are no longer protected by the state, but according to the Forest Strategy of the EU until 2030, they must be preserved.
In addition, the fund emphasizes that this draft law may have particularly negative consequences for the Carpathian region, where today there are already restrictions on so-called "main use logging". WWF-Ukraine believes that the changes proposed by the draft law could be "a return to the worst Soviet practices", when forestry was carried out without taking into account ecological needs, which made most forests fire-hazardous and unstable.
The project is also criticized by ecologists due to its disregard of Ukraine's European integration obligations. In particular, the requirements regarding the Emerald Network and the Berne Convention are not taken into account. In addition, continuous felling may limit the possibility of selling timber to the EU, which is provided for by the EU Regulation on Deforestation and Forest Degradation.
The Foundation predicts that the adoption of this draft law will lead to the degradation of forests, the slowing down of European integration processes and economic losses for Ukraine. In response, WWF calls for the continuation of the work of the Working Group with the aim of developing an alternative draft law that would ensure the protection of forest ecosystems and comply with European legislation.
At the same time, other public activists and environmental groups also express their disagreement with the proposals of draft law No. 9516, preparing appeals to the deputies to take into account the environmental consequences and realities of modern forestry.
