Seminar for the Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the Western Region Defense Sector

On September 20, 2024, a scientific and methodological seminar titled “Key Aspects of Organizing Prosecutor Representation of State Interests in Environmental Protection During Martial Law" was held, organized by the Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the Western Region. The event, conducted in a hybrid format, was attended by deputy heads and staff from subordinate prosecutors' offices responsible for representation activities in western regions, including Lviv, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi etc.

Among the speakers were Vasyl Stryshak, Deputy Head of the State Environmental Inspection in Lviv Region; Sofia Shutyak, Deputy Chair of the Committee on Agricultural, Land, and Environmental Law of the NAAU and project manager of “SWIPE WWF-UA”; and Dmytro Karabchuk, Executive Director of the NGO ForestCom, candidate of agricultural sciences, recipient of the “Light of Justice” award for forest protection in 2019, and Fulbright Scholar.

During his presentation, Dmytro Karabchuk discussed the current situation regarding the fight against illegal logging at the national level and shared insights on sector dynamics. 

According to him, “The number of illegal logging cases has decreased over the last five years, but it has begun to rise again starting in 2023. However, we cannot overlook the positive trend in law enforcement investigations of illegal logging, as more cases are being generated at the national level, leading to an increasing percentage of cases being referred to the courts each year. Over the past two years, we have observed that the courts are increasingly reviewing cases submitted to them, with over 90% of cases under consideration resulting in verdicts.”

Dmytro Karabchuk also highlighted the achievements of the NGO ForestCom over the past four years, including:

- inspection of more than 7 million hectares of forest;

- over 300 visits to forests;

- initiation of over 50 criminal proceedings related to illegal logging;

- more than 70 expert reports provided to law enforcement in open criminal cases.

The head of the NGO shared methodologies and tools that investigators and law enforcement can utilize during their inquiries. He emphasized that law enforcement officials can leverage satellite imagery to establish the timing of illegal logging and use electronic forest maps for data analysis and location tracking while in the woods (to understand whose forest they are in and which area they are investigating). Participants learned of various methods to evaluate the legality of timber harvesting, where experts can be invited, including dendrochronology, botanical research methods, and species identification according to current legislation. 

Overall, involving experts in their work and cooperating with them are among the most effective strategies for enhancing the efficiency of law enforcement operations. 

During the seminar, participants also discussed pressing issues and challenges concerning the involvement of the State Environmental Inspection in the representation powers exercised by the prosecutor's office. They raised concerns about taking criminal and legal measures in the area of air quality protection. Additionally, there was a discussion regarding judicial practices and the challenges faced in court related to environmental protection cases brought forward by prosecutors in commercial, administrative, and civil legal proceedings.

The activity of the NGO ForestCom is carried out  with the support of the International Programs of the US Forest Service within the project "Combating illegal logging in Ukraine".