The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted a resolution that formally extends the ability to obtain logging tickets and certificates of timber origin in electronic form — without the need for in-person interaction with government authorities.
What does it mean?
Since June 2023, these services have been available online as part of a pilot project developed by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine and the State Forest Resources Agency of Ukraine, with the involvement of the BRDO team and with support from international technical assistance under the USAID / UK aid-funded Transparency and Accountability in Public Administration and Services (TAPAS) Activity.
The previous resolution was set to expire on June 1, 2025: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/483-2023-%D0%BF#Text
The new government decision ensures continued use of these digital services, which have already proven effective.
Key benefits of digital systems:
- For the state: a powerful tool for monitoring and managing timber harvesting, reducing illegal logging and the shadow market.
- For businesses: fast and transparent access to administrative services, free from corruption risks.
- For exporters: official confirmation of the legal origin of timber, required for international trade operations.
The next phase involves the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). In particular, it involves determining the geographical coordinates of the timber harvesting site to ensure traceability, which is required for export to EU states.
Legal support for the digital transformation of the forestry sector is provided through the “Digitalisation for Growth, Integrity and Transparency” (UK DIGIT) project, implemented by the Eurasia Foundation and funded by UK Dev. The project partner is the Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO).