Explanation of the draft law on firewood

The Verkhovna Rada explained the purpose of draft law No. 9665, which concerns the improvement of liability for offenses in the field of forest use and the fight against illegal timber traffic. According to the information provided by MP Maksym Pavlyuk, this draft law does not aim to limit the rights of the population that uses firewood to heat their homes. Instead, its main goal is to combat "black loggers" and illegal sawmills that profit from forest theft.

Pavlyuk emphasized that the information that appeared in some mass media, that the norms of the new law forbid citizens to store firewood at home without supporting documents, is false. The deputy noted that such reports are not only incorrect, but also misleading, because the draft law is not directed against ordinary consumers.

Bill No. 9665 is indeed focused on the problem of illegal deforestation, but does not concern those who use firewood for their own needs. It defines the volumes of wood that can be stored without any documents, in particular, 30 m³ of pine or 15 m³ of oak, which is sufficient for the needs of the household during the heating season.

The deputy noted that in order to incur criminal liability, it is necessary to store wood worth more than 30,000 hryvnias. This roughly corresponds to 30 m³ of pine or 15 m³ of oak, which, according to the "DrovaYE" platform, is a limit that average consumers do not exceed.

Thus, ordinary households that do not engage in wood business will not have any problems due to the new draft law. Pavlyuk also assured that if someone has prepared more firewood for this winter than allowed, there is no need to worry. The law is not retroactive, so government authorities, including the police, cannot demand documents for timber purchased before the new law comes into effect.

Therefore, the purpose of the draft law is to protect forests from illegal use, and not to create obstacles for ordinary Ukrainians who use firewood to heat their homes. Understanding these nuances is important to avoid misunderstandings and panic among the population.