Govt extends experiment on online issuance of logging tickets and certificates

The government has extended the validity of the relevant pilot project on online issuance of logging tickets and certificates of origin of wood until June 1, 2027, the press service of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine reported.

The ministry recalled that the pilot project was introduced by the Cabinet of Ministers back in May 2023 to prevent abuse and falsification of permit documents, as well as to fully trace the circulation of wood from the place of harvesting to its sale for export. The purpose of this decision is to prevent illegal logging and the shadow circulation of wood.

According to the Ministry of Environment, during this time, more than 153,500 logging tickets were issued online. For comparison, in 2022 the State Forestry Agency issued about 38,000 tickets, and in 2021 - almost 59,000 tickets. Over the two years of the pilot project, 92,000 e-certificates were also issued.

"The transition to electronic permits has ensured the transparent and efficient operation of the electronic timber accounting system. Thanks to this system, it is possible to quickly track the movement of wood at all stages of harvesting, as well as see the remains of forest products at each site in real time," the ministry noted.

In fact, for the first time in the history of Ukraine, such an end-to-end digital chain of traceability of wood movement from harvesting to export was created, which, according to the Ministry of Environment, was positively noted by European partners. The European Commission has classified Ukraine as a low-risk country under the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the highest possible status for timber exporters to the EU.