The bill on digitalization of the forestry complex was adopted in the third reading
The State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation in the third reading adopted a draft law, which is designed to ensure state control over all stages of timber harvesting, transportation and processing. One of the key roles in this process will be played by digitalization of the forestry complex, modernization of the unified state automated information system of timber accounting LesEGAIS.
“The modernized LesEGAIS will provide an opportunity to see the entire wood supply chain ‒ from the plot to the point of sale or processing. The movement of timber will become possible only if electronic accompanying documents are available, which in turn must also be registered with LesEGAIS. If the system is unable to confirm the legality of timber, then it will be impossible to implement it, technically it will not work,” ‒ explained the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation ‒ Head of the Federal Forestry Agency Sergei Anoprienko.
In practice, Rosleskhoz and Roslesinforg have already begun to implement this task: from January 1, 2021, an experiment on wood traceability was launched in a pilot mode together with the largest market participants.
At the second stage, the law adopted by the State Duma will allow for the first time in Russia to start creating an electronic forest register, which unites information about all forests.
The adopted changes will form the basis of a fundamentally new approach to forestry. It will be reflected at the level of documents, contracts, reports, declarations, and during transportation, storage and wood processing. The implementation of the measures will allow ensuring reliable accounting of the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of forest resources, and will reduce the damage from illegal logging.
The initiative was submitted to the State Duma in November 2020 and adopted in the first reading on December 15, 2020. By the second reading on January 19, the document was finalized, adding government amendments to it, revealing in more detail all the norms contained in the draft law, and clarifying a number of provisions, including those relating to the participation of forest tenants in extinguishing forest fires.
Draft Law No. 1054506-7 “On Amendments to the Forest Code of the Russian Federation and Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation in terms of improving the legal regulation of forest relations” was prepared in accordance with the instructions of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin following the meeting on the development of the forestry sector held on September 29, 2020, as well as in accordance with the Action Plan for the decriminalization of the forestry complex, approved by Deputy Prime Minister Victoria Abramchenko.
Press Service of the Federal Forestry Agency