In a media interview on Monday, Paulina Hennig-Kloska highlighted the role of forestry in Poland's economy.
Forestry accounts for 6 percent of Poland's gross domestic product (GDP) and is a significant source of employment, Hennig-Kloska told public broadcaster TVP Info.
She added that any reduction in timber supply to the market would need to be gradual. The focus will be on decreasing the use of high-quality wood in commercial energy production and limiting the export of wood outside Poland, particularly to China, she said.
Earlier this year, the Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment imposed a forestry moratorium, initially set for six months, on cutting or restricting tree felling in 10 specific areas, including several major forests and parks across the country. This moratorium, now extended until the end of September, covers 94,000 hectares within 28 forestry districts.
In early August, the State Forest Authority proposed a ban on exporting wood outside the European Union, set to commence on January 1, 2025, and last until December 31, 2028.
This proposal, aiming to declare wood a strategic raw material, includes amendments to laws protecting national strategic natural resources and consumer competition.
The State Forest Authority said it does not export wood directly. Instead, intermediaries legally purchase timber and then sell it abroad, including to third-party countries, according to Witold Koss, director-general of the State Forest Authority.
From 2019 to 2023, intermediaries exported 14.3 million tons of unprocessed wood, with 2.2 million tons exported last year alone. Germany was the primary destination, receiving 5.3 million tons, or 37 percent of the exports during this period, followed by China, which imported 4 million tons, or 28 percent of the exports.
The Polish timber industry has faced a yearly deficit of 3-4 million cubic meters in raw materials, often filled by imports, according to the State Forest Authority.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP, TVP Info