Forest policy and multifunctional forestry: Ukrainian delegation on official visit to Germany

On 8 September, an official visit by a Ukrainian delegation to the Federal Republic of Germany began. The delegation includes representatives from the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Economic Development, the State Forest Resources Agency, the State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre, the State Regulatory Service, as well as academics and sector experts.

The purpose of the visit is to exchange expertise and secure Germany’s support on issues of sustainable forestry development, implementation of the European Green Deal, and adoption of the European Union’s best practices in Ukraine’s forestry sector, biodiversity conservation, and other key areas of modern forestry.

Balanced forest management, which combines efficient resource use with the preservation of natural ecosystems, is an integral part of the country’s sustainable economic development.

The Ukrainian delegation has already held meetings at the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, as well as with relevant Bundestag committees: the Committee on the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, and the Committee on Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity.

These meetings addressed forest management organisation, forest inventories, and the implementation of EU policies to effectively integrate relevant European legal standards into Ukrainian legislation.

Key topics for upcoming meetings include:

• Multifunctional forestry;
• Transition to close-to-nature forestry and forest transformation in the context of climate change;
• Operation of the wood processing industry and timber market;
• The role of non-governmental organisations and associations in forest management, conservation, sustainable use, and policy development.

The visit was initiated by Oleh Bondarenko, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management. It is taking place within the framework of the Bilateral Cooperation Programme of the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, supported by the Technical Support to Forest Policy Development and National Forest Inventory Implementation (SFI) project.