Servant of the People assured that the high-profile bill No. 9665, recently voted by the Verkhovna Rada on improving liability for offenses in the field of forest management and combating illegal timber trafficking, is not directed against the population who use firewood to heat their own homes.
It is alleged that the bill provided for the opportunity for the population to preserve the volumes of wood required for the heating season “even with a reserve.” This was stated by one of the authors of the bill, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Law Enforcement Affairs Maxim Pavlyuk, as reported by Servant of the People speaker Yulia Paliychuk in her Telegram channel.
There have been reports in some media that the provisions of the voted bill prohibit the population from storing firewood at home for their own use without supporting documents. Such messages are absolutely untrue and not just an arbitrary interpretation of the voted norms, but an outright lie,” the deputy assured.
According to Pavlyuk, the bill concerns “black loggers” and illegal sawmills – it is designed to stop illegal logging and does not apply to household wood.
The people’s deputy noted that for criminal liability to occur, it is necessary to store an amount of more than 30 thousand UAH, which, according to the DrovaE service, is 30 cubic meters of pine or 15 cubic meters of oak.
In other words, the person does not bear any responsibility for storing 30 cubic meters. pine firewood or 15 cubic meters. oak,” he emphasized. — This is the volume that a household needs for the heating season, and a little with a reserve.
Therefore, for ordinary households that do not process or sell wood on an industrial scale, this bill will not matter,” he added.
Pavlyuk also assured that the law does not have retroactive force in relation to those citizens who have already prepared timber reserves.
Even if someone, understanding the complexity of the situation and the uncertainty in the energy sector, has prepared more than 15 cubic meters of oak firewood or 30 cubic meters for this winter. m pine trees, there is no reason for them to worry. The law does not have retroactive effect in time, so government agencies, including the police, do not have the right to demand documents for existing timber that was purchased before the law came into force, he emphasized.
Pavlyuk also noted that the heating season has already begun, so the relevant provisions of the law will not come into effect until the beginning of preparations for the next heating season.
Source: Racurs
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