Workshop on Strategies Against Organized Crime and Illegal Logging Enforcement

Organized crime and corruption pose numerous challenges, especially in investigating illegal deforestation. Issues include fragmented forest management structures, blurred jurisdictional boundaries of law enforcement agencies, well-organized criminal networks, money laundering, illegal trafficking, and smuggling.

To address these challenges collectively, a two-day seminar took place in Truskavets on May 23-24, 2024, dedicated to exploring effective strategies to combat organized crime and corruption, particularly in the forestry sector. Among the participants were experts from "ForestCom," including Dmytro Karabchuk and Leonid Osadchuk. The event was organized by the EU Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine 

The seminar brought together Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and the media from Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Volyn, and Lviv regions to discuss the most effective mechanisms to counter illegal deforestation. The event specifically addressed criminal activities in the forestry sector, highlighting the crucial roles of Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and the media in uncovering corruption within state agencies, exposing manipulation in wood auctions, and addressing deficiencies in tracing the origins of timber.

During the Workshop, discussions focused on improving processes to detect and prosecute illegal logging, the need for more covert investigations and better inter-agency coordination, and the necessity of equipping law enforcement agencies, civil organizations, and media representatives with resources and knowledge to conduct such complex investigations. Attendees learned about EU best practices, including the Romanian Sumal system, and deliberated on whether the implementation of a unified electronic timber accounting system would address existing loopholes. They also received insights into draft laws amending the Criminal Code of Ukraine to combat illegal timber trading, shared by Maxim Pavliuk, Deputy Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Law Enforcement Activities.

We hope that the fruitful collaboration among law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, media, and civil organizations will yield significant results.

Photo source: https://www.euam-ukraine.eu/ua/