In this context, the strategic objectives of the national forest policy are related to those enumerated in international agreements of sustainable development, sustainable use and protection of European forests. Ukraine has joined the Pan-European Process of forest protection and signed the following resolutions of Ministerial Conferences on Protection of Forests in Europe:
Strasbourg Resolutions:
S1 - European Network of permanent Sample Plots for Monitoring of Forest Ecosystems;
S2 – Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources;
S3 - Decentralized European Data Bank on Forest Fires;
S4 – Adapting the Management of Mountain Forests to New Environmental Conditions;
S6 - European Network for Research into Forest Ecosystems.
Helsinki Resolutions:
H1 – General Guidelines for the Sustainable Management of Forests in Europe;
H2 – General Guidelines for the Conservation of the Biodiversity of European Forests;
H3 – Forestry Cooperation with Countries with Economies in Transition;
H4 – Strategies for a Process of Long-term Adaptation of Forests in Europe to Climate Change.
Lisbon Resolutions:
L1 – People, Forests and Forestry – Enhancement of the Socio –Economic Aspects of Sustainable Forest Management;
L2 – Pan-European Criteria, Indicators and Operational Level Guidelines for Sustainable Forest Management.
Vienna Resolutions:
V1 - Strengthen synergies for sustainable forest management in Europe through cross-sectoral co-operation and National Forest Programmes;
V2 - Enhancing economic viability of sustainable forest management in Europe;
V3 - Preserving and enhancing the social and cultural dimensions of sustainable forest management in Europe;
V4 - Conserving and enhancing forest biological diversity in Europe;
V5 - Climate change and sustainable forest management in Europe.
Ukraine has not yet signed to this date only one Strasbourg resolution: S5 – Expansion of the EUROSILVA Network of Research on Tree Physiology.
Kyoto Protocol on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was ratified by Ukrainian Parliament in February 2004 and was adopted by President of Ukraine. It gives the possibilities to elaborate the Joint Implementation projects in forest sector. Ukraine has a great potential for carbon sequestration with help of afforestation because a lot of unused low fertile arable lands could be forested.
The main issues of the transition process of the forest and forest products sector to market economy during the last years (2001-2004)
The main impacts of transition processes on Ukrainian Forestry are following:
- Transition from command to market economy - forest enterprises became the subjects of market economy.
- Decreasing of state budget financing for forestry sector.
- Unconformity of national forest legislation to socio-economics and market transformations.
- Deteriorated of wood-processing sector, sharp reduction of consumer demand on internal market of wood.
- Harvested timber decreasing and simultaneous increasing of the growing stock (using of increment is 30-40%).
- Discrepancy of forest management information system to the modern requirements.
- Big increase of volume of wood export (6-7 times for 5 last years).
- Contamination of forests (about 3,5 mln. ha is contaminated after Chernobyl disaster).
National forestry strategies and programmes
Recently in Ukraine has been approved The State Programme “Forests of Ukraine 2002-2015” where was indicated the following objectives:
- to extend forest covered territory to the optimal level;
- to improve the productivity and quality of species composition in forest plantations;
- to intensify nature-protective function of forests and to conserve their biological diversity;
- to increase forest ecosystems resistance to negative impacts and climate change;
- to apply widely sustainable forest resources management techniques;
- to extend protective afforestation and forest agro melioration;
- to improve forest management legislation
- to make it consistent with international sustainable development and forest management principles;
- to intensify state control for protection, conservation, exploitation and regeneration of forests;
- to encourage the development of forest research and education;
- to improve social protection of forestry workers.
The main outputs of State Program “Forest of Ukraine 2002-2015”:
- to increase forest cover by 0,5 million ha - from 15,6% to 16,1%
- to increase wood harvesting by 15-20%.
- to improve biodiversity and environment at local, regional levels
- to reduce soil degradation and greenhouse gases concentration
- to contribute to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Convention on Biodiversity Conservation.