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Forestry legislation in Central and Eastern Europe: A Comparative Outlook

Year of publication 2001

Pages 32 p.

Author Development Law Service

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (series)

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Following the political changes of the early 1990s, most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe have adopted new forestry legislation. This study begins with a brief examination of the reasons that have led to this rapid replacement of existing forestry legislation, as well as the constraints which such reforms have encountered (Section I). Section II of the study examines how developments in the forestry legislation of these countries relate to international developments currently takin g place. The overall opening up of Central and Eastern European countries to international contacts and co-operation has influenced the formulation of domestic policies and legislation, and international initiatives (such as those which led to the adoption of the Rio Forest Principles) have been well received. Harmonization of forestry laws of these countries with those of the European Community, with a view to future accession, is not necessary at this stage, since Community legislation is mai nly limited to the regulation of forestry financing programmes. Nevertheless, Community legislation envisages forestry as one aspect of integrated rural development, which is an overall approach that the countries of Central and Eastern Europe may wish to follow. Section III examines how six principal issues are treated in the emerging forestry legislation of the region. The analysis shows that sustainable development of forests is generally an express objective of the legislation. One of the mo st complex issues concerns the establishment of a legal regime for private forests, whether natural forests which may have been distributed to former owners or otherwise privatized, or planted forests. Excessively stringent rules (such as the imposition of detailed management plans still prepared by the administration) may discourage private forestry activities, and are difficult to implement and enforce. In most of the laws studied, integrated, participatory forest management has not yet replac ed the traditional emphasis on technical forest management, although some innovations in this regard have been introduced. Among the final considerations is the necessity for appropriate subsidiary legislation, and for a sustained commitment by governments to implementation of the newly designed legal strategies (Section IV).

Language English

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