ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОЕ АГЕНТСТВО ЛЕСНОГО ХОЗЯЙСТВА

FEDERAL FORESTRY AGENCY

EUROPEAN NEIGHBORHOOD AND PARTNERSHIP INSTRUMENT EAST

COUNTRIES FOREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AND GOVERNANCE II PROGRAM (ENPI EAST COUNTRIES FLEG II PROGRAM)

in the Russian Federation

А. Panfilov, Deputy Head of Federal Forestry Agency

National Focal point for FLEG activities in the Russian Federation, NPAC Chairman for the Russian Federation

1st Steering Committee MeetingMinsk, October 1-3 , 2013

2AGENDA

1. Key outcomes of FLEG-I implementation in Russia

2. New challenges in the forestry sector and relevance of Stage II of the Program in the Russian Federation

3. FLEG-II priority areas in Russia proposed for implementation

4. Prioritized list of activities in Russia (approved for implementation prior to this meeting of the SC)

31. Key outcomes of FLEG-I implementation in Russia

Mainstreaming FLEG in all forestry sector processes

Development and use of the guidelines to combat illegal forest use at the level of the Russian Federation and its regions

Assessment of forest governance quality at the national and subnational levels

Testing sustainable forestry model at the local level

Increased awareness of all stakeholders

Development and delivery of module-based training programs

Support to the business community (summarizing corporate experience with timber origin tracking systems, information on Regulation (EU))

Additional relevant studies: forest fires and illegal forest use in Russia

Тhus, the Program served as a catalyst for many crucial processes in the Russian forestry sector including the process of attracting resources from IFIs and the national budget

42. New challenges in the forestry sector and relevance of

Stage II of the Program in the Russian Federation

Approval of the “State Policy Guidelines for Forest Use, Protection and Renewal”

A need to enhance the role of the state in addressing illegal logging and trade in timber

Changes in the structure of forest governance bodies

Changes in the forestry legislation

Support to implementation of the RF State Program “Forestry Sector Development for 2012-2020”

Russia’s accession to the WTO

Development of a binding agreement on forests in Europe

Dialogue with EU partners under the now effective Regulation (EU) on timber

Majority of the priorities identified in 2008 for FLEG-I in cooperation with FFA stay relevant

53. FLEG-II priority areas in Russia proposed for

implementation

1. Improving the FLEG planning and monitoring at the national, regional (local), and interagency levels

2. Building up human resource capacity to address FLEG issues

3. Facilitating specific FLEG actions by top Russian forest companies and their international trading partners

4. Safeguarding the rights of local communities and small businesses to legal forest resource use

5. Increasing transparency of action and raising stakeholder awareness

6Coverage of RF regions by activities of the Country

Workplan for the Russian Federation (year 1)

7The Country Workplan for Russia:

Area 1. Improving the FLEG planning and monitoring at the national, regional (local), and interagency levels

1.1. Improving forest governance as applicable to key forest management operations (WB)

1.2. Improving the forest law enforcement and governance mechanisms (WB)

1.3. Undertaking independent assessments to estimate illegal cuts and informing the public (WWF)

1.4. Reviewing best practices and cases of legal and sustainable forest use by local forest-dependent communities (IUCN)

1.5. A study to analyze economic benefits, carbon stocks and biodiversity conservation within the areas managed by forest-dependent communities upon adoption of legal and sustainable practices of forest use (IUCN)

8The Country Workplan for Russia:Area 2. Building up human resource capacity to address FLEG issues

2.1. Development and delivery of module-based training programs highlighting FLEG issues and ways to address them at the federal level and in Russian regions (WB)

2.1.1. For Bachelors/Masters (higher forest education)

2.1.2. A detailed development of the most relevant modules addressing FLEG issues to retrain managers and public administrators

9 The Country Workplan for Russia:

Area 3. Facilitating specific FLEG actions by top Russian forest companies and their international trading partners

3.1. Information support to Russian forest companies to adjust to the new EU timber legislation (WWF)

3.2. Support in the designing and implementing procedures to prove legality of timber origin pursuant to the new EU timber legislation in Arkhangelsk region (WWF)

3.3. A study of forest bioenergy sector and proposals on voluntary standards of sustainable forest management to obtain bioenergy inputs (WWF)

3.4. Design of a regional instrument to support science-based decisions on forest management for businesses and forest governance bodies using information on forests with high environmental value and biodiversity (WWF)

3.5. Providing incentives for small and medium businesses to encourage multiple use of forest resources in compliance with the principles of sustainable forest management (WWF)

10The Country Workplan for Russia :

Area 4. Safeguarding the rights of local communities and small businesses to forest resource use

4.1. Testing and replicating successful models of sustainable forest use by forest-dependent communities (IUCN)

11The Country Workplan for Russia:Area 5. Increasing transparency of action and raising stakeholder awareness

5.1. Supporting public participation (including local communities and youth) in sustainable forest management (WB)

5.2. Review and improvement of FLEG information support (WB)

5.3. Developing capacity for public participation in monitoring of timber harvesting legality (WWF)

124. Prioritized activities in Russia

(launched prior to the AC meeting)

Recommended at NPAC meeting on June 20, 2013, agreed with the leadership of implementing organizations

Implemented under four of the five approved priority areas

Ensure timeliness and coherence of implementing the key Workplan areas to address relevant forest management issues and new challenges in the country

Lay down foundation for successful future efforts

Are aimed at identifying baseline values for key target indicators to be used in future monitoring of outcomes and impacts

13Sub-activities of the Workplan underway

The Country Workplan Area Approved priority sub-activity

Area 1. Improving the FLEG planning and monitoring at the national, regional (local), and interagency levels

1.2.2. Improving the system to combat illegal forest use1.3.1. Estimation of illegal cuts based on a comparison of statistics and data from independent studies1.4.1. Collecting best practices in sustainable forest use by forest-dependent communities

Area 2. Building up human resource capacity to address FLEG issues

2.1.1. Development and delivery of module-based training programs for Bachelors and Masters (higher forest education)

Area 3. Facilitating specific FLEG actions by top Russian forest companies and their international trading partners

3.1.1. A review of issued faced by Russian forest companies adjusting to Regulation (EU) 995/2010 requirements

Area 5. Increasing transparency of action and raising stakeholder awareness

5.1.2. Enhancing work with school students to support public participation (including local communities and youth),in sustainable forest management

14Plan of regional activities under the Program:

proposals from Russian partners

1. International workshops “Тechnical Meetings of High-Level Experts on Relevant ENA FLEG Issues” (WB, 2014 and 2016).

2. International round table “Replication of Cases and Best Practices of Sustainable Forest Use by Forest-Dependent Communities” (IUCN, 2015)

3. International round table “New EU Timber Legislation: How to Enhance Effectiveness of Its Enforcement in Combatting Illegal Cuts?” (WWF, 2014)

4. International conference “International and Country Approaches to Assessing the Scope of Illegal Forest Use” (WWF, 2015)

15International activities planned by FFA:

CIS Intergovernmental Council on timber industry and forestry sector (June 2014)

International conference “Forest and Man – 2014” (October 2014)

International Junior Forest Contest (September 2014)

THANK YOU!