The Council of Ministers
approved today the draft law “On the management of the national forestry and
pasture fund in the Republic of Albania”
By this historic decision, a
truly momentous legislative enterprise is initiated, and one of the most
essential reforms in the forestry and pasture sector for our country.
This draft law, prepared by the Ministry of Environment, is the
result of a series of consultations with forestry experts, local government
representatives, academia, international partners and various stakeholders of
the environment sector.
1 – For the first time, this draft law will address the current dead-end,
created as a result of the transfer process of the forestry and pasture lands
onto local authorities. Today, we have decided on a 100% management of the
forestry fund by municipalities.
The draft law that the government passed today, introduces a
reorganization scheme in the governance of the forestry and pasture sector,
with the Ministry of Environment acting as a policymaking institution,
only. All management roles of the
national forestry and pasture fund are delegated onto municipalities, while
inspecting functions remain with the State Environment and Forestry Inspectorate.
This constitutes a noticeable progress in the context of the
decentralization of competences from the Ministry of Environment onto
municipalities, fully in line with the cross-sectorial decentralization
strategy.
Our intervention had to be radical and with immediate effect,
therefore the Ministry put forward a new direction with respect to the
management of the national forestry and pasture fund.
2 – . For the first time this draft law will categorically and
completely ban the export and trading of timber. This measure comes after
a series of other undertaken measures, which produced a quite tangible effect
in banning the export of charcoal and raw timber. However, previous measures
were not considered sufficient to address the current situation and assure
sustainable development in this sector.
3 – For the first time, this draft law stipulates the initiation
of a 10 year forestry moratorium (Ban). The moratorium (Ban) on forestry export
and trading is a momentous decision, which requires the commitment and goodwill
of all stakeholders, as well as the complete support of the Albanian society.
Even though, this may appear a drastic move, this decision of the
Albanian government was however conditioned by the unfavorable situation handed
down to us from more than 40 years.
Ever since 1974, community need for raw timber and firewood has
been several times higher than the quantity generated by forests throughout the
country. Abusive acts after the 90’s
have led to the degradation of the forestry fund, as one of the most vital environment
sectors and valuable assets for the Albanian economy. Messy interventions,
continuous damage and abusive logging have resulted in almost an emergency
situation of this natural fortune, of vital values for the future of every
citizen of the Republic of Albania.
Let me reiterate the fact that the Ministry of Environment, in close
cooperation with the municipalities, will guarantee to the citizens uninterrupted
supply of firewood for local heating purposes.
This major reform is a historic decision in the forestry sector,
which will guarantee sustainable development of the forests, and ensure
improvement of quality of life and wellbeing of Albanian citizens, to the best
interest of our society, today and in the future.
The draft law will be reviewed and discussed on the commissions of
the Albanian Parliament and we do foresee to enter in Law in January 2016.