Russia

Russia hosts a significant share of the planet’s forest resources (ca 80.5 billion cubic meters or 21% of the world timber stock). It is one of the key players on the timber trade market. It is also known as one of the important vendors of illegal timber. Recent reform of the forest legislation system and introduction of the new Forest Code in 2007 resulted in the significant restructuring of the forest management and governance systems and drastic decrease of efficiency in illegal logging control processes. Forest management responsibilities transfer from the federal authorities to regional administrations resulted in growing contrasts of the legal situation and success in forests protection and sustainability of management. Vast distances and recent economic difficulties have also complicated the processes of illegal logging and timber trade control.

The major priority areas for ENPI-FLEG program defined by the project implementing partner organizations - the World Bank, WWF and IUCN and approved by the National Program Advisory Committee (NPAC) are the following:

• Increasing efficiency of the extremely complicated system of the forest legislation;
• Increasing transparency of the forest logging, processing and trade chains;
• Improving coordination between governmental agencies responsible for forest governance;
• Support of rural livelihoods located in forests and securing their rights for access to forest timber and non-timber products;
• Safeguarding access of citizens and other stakeholders to information about forest management and timber trade.