OREANDA-NEWS. December 09, 2010. It was said during the road show Moldovan Forests: reality, problems, solutions” that took place with the support of the European Union in the framework of the ENPI-FLEG Program “Improving Forest Law Enforcement and Governance in the European Neighbourhood Policy East Countries and Russia”.

According to Aurel Lozan, National Consultant ENPI FLEG, official data on the level of wood illegally logged in Moldova during 1997-2004 stated an amount of 142300 cubic meters, of which 35000 cubic meters (24.6%) were produced in forests managed by the state forest authority (Agency “Moldsilva”) and the other 107300 cubic meters (75.4%) logged in forest lands of local authorities. Around 13 million hectares of forest are cleared worldwide annually, according to the European Commission. Estimates suggest that illegal logging costs timber-producing countries €10-15 billion per year in lost revenues.

According to the Land Cadastre of Moldova by January 1st 2010, the forest lands constituted a total of 462.7 thousand ha or 13.7% of the territory; forest fund - 410.2 thousand ha (12.1%); area covered by forests - 365.9 thousand ha (10.8 %); and other 52.5 thousand ha are covered by forest vegetation (30.9 thousand ha of forest belts and 21.6 thousand ha of plantations of trees and shrubs).

During the project implementation period it is intended to improve the relevant legislation, and specifically to revise and update the Forestry Code as well as other relevant legal acts. Dumitru Galupa, the Director of the ICAS, specified that “one of the gaps of the Forestry Code is the lack of legal provisions governing the management of community forests and forests taken care of by the local public administration.

The ENPI-FLEG Program is funded by the European Union. Launched in 2009 in Moldova the ENPI-FLEG Program is focusing on conducting two analytical studies (illegal cutting and marketing of forest), improving the existing forest legislation, organising trainings for employees of the forest sector, customs services, local public administration, judicial authorities and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.