The Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine announced the issuance of the first electronic certificate of wood origin through EcoSystem, a national platform that brings together all environmental services for businesses and citizens. This is a significant step in the development of an electronic document management system.
Four enterprises have already provided electronic documents to obtain such certificates. This decision is aimed at simplifying procedures for honest enterprises and preventing possible manipulations by “black loggers,” as explained by Minister Ruslan Strelets.
Previously, companies had to collect paperwork in person to prove the timber was legal and then receive paper certificates. However, the process can now be completed online, allowing documents to be automatically registered and easily verified in the electronic registry at customs.
In May 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted the implementation of a pilot project to issue a logging ticket and a certificate of origin of timber in electronic form. The project duration is set until June 1, 2025, after which a decision will be made on its future.
Until December of this year, confirmation of the legality of timber for export was carried out only through paper certificates. Since January 2023, more than 72,000 electronic certificates have been issued in Ukraine.
