1. SUPERVISION AND LAW ENFORCEMENT IN FORESTRY SECTOR IN BULGARIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD
EXECUTIVE FOREST AGENCY
SUPERVISION AND LAW ENFORCEMENT IN FORESTRY SECTOR IN BULGARIA
Georgia, 5-6 June 2014

2. Total forest area - 4,165 mil. ha
BULGARIAN FORESTS
Total forest area - 4,165 mil. ha
incl. afforested area - 3,761 mil. ha
Percentage of area : coniferous % and deciduous – 71.3 %.
incl. : Scots pine – 14.9 %, Austrian pine – 7.7 %, spruce – 4.3 %; oaks – 35.5 %, beech – 16.5 %, hornbeam– 4.2 %, acacia – 4.0 %.
Percentage of total volume : coniferous – 44.6 %, deciduous – 55.4 %
incl. : Scots pine – 21.5 %, Pinus n.– 10.8 %, spruce – 8.6 %, oaks – 21.3 %, beech – 24.0 %, hornbeam – 3.8 % and acacia – 1.2 %

3. Distribution of forest lands by ownership3 3

4. Forest lands
4,2 mil ha - cover 37% of the country FMP

5. Institutional structure in forestry sector
Ministry of Agriculture and Food
165 Trade units
Forestry and Hunting units
Executive Forest Agency
16 Regional Forest Directorates
6 State Forest
Enterprises

6. Supervision and law-enforcement
Fight against illegal forest activities
New institutional set-up for supervision and law enforcement
Institutional reform after 2011:
Controlling body – Executive Forest Agency – 150 employees
– 16 Regional directorates – 1000 empl.
– state budget
Economic functions – 6 State forest enterprises – 200 empl.
– 165 forestry and hunting units – 6500 empl.
– self-financing
17 thousands statements for infringement of forest act last year
– trained personnel
– lack of financing and lower salaries
– possible conflict of interests
Regular and sudden checks on the field and in processing plant
– national register of forest enterprises
– FMP or programs, cutting permits
– transportation tickets
– register for incoming/outgoing wooden materials

7. Functions of controlling body
Forest policing (Policy & Strategy)
Legislation
Supervision and law-enforcement
Control and inspection in state and non-state forests
Forest inventory
Support to private forest owners
Forest protection – coordination, planning and control (erosion control, forest fire management, pests)
National data base
Seed control
Nature park management

8. Supervision and law-enforcement
Coordination between institutions
- police service / anti-fire services
- custom agency
- prosecutor’s offices
- revenue and tax agency
Written agreements
Joined working meetings
National and regional level
Coordination between institutions and stakeholders, professional, branch and environmental NGOs
- elaboration of forest legislature and strategy
- solving common problems
- consultations
Public-private partnerships
- joined implementation of European projects and programs
- 15 years contracts for hunting and game breeding activities

9. Supervision and law-enforcement
Main challenges :
illegal logging
forest fires
insufficient forest road network
lower salaries in controlling body
ecosystem services and benefits
national forest inventory
regional forestry plans
Positive aspects :
educated and trained employees
traditions in silvcultural activities
forestry management plans and programs
experience and good examples in participation international projects and programs
steps for further simplifying processes in forestry sector – internet based systems for cutting permits, registers and transportation tickets
good legislative basis – forest act and ordinances

10. Implementation of Regulation 995/2010
EUTR
EFA – Competent authority for EUTR implementation
Special guidance for the CA’s checks on the operators, traders and MO – procedures, principles, who and where, frequency
Written rules for the checks – step by step
Risk-based approach combined with random
Focus on Turkish boards and Chinese furniturure
Planned and random checks and reports
Records of the checks
Checks on traders and MO

11. EUTR
Sanctions
- For infringement – up to 2500 € if no bigger sanction is foreseen
- Fines in triple size – if more than 1 infringement is done in one year period
- Seizures
Certification schemes towards EUTR
Advantages
22 % of forests FSC
Predominantly state forests
Problems – lack of financing, experience
Certification or other third party verified schemes may be taken into account in the risk assessment and risk mitigation procedures

12. EUTR - lack of trained people First steps done - workshops - meetings
- information in internet – websites, links, articles
- informative materials – press release, leaflets, posters, FAQ
- established national and regional commission on implementation
- checks on operators and traders
In near future
- training programs
- meetings with bigger operators
- explanatory campaign
- checks on operators, traders and MO
Challenges in front of EUTR implementation
- lack of trained people
- imported wood products
- access to Custom Agency data
- wood from other sources – protected areas, parks, gardens

13. Thank you for your attention!
Dipl. eng. Valentin Chambov
Executive Forest Agency
Sofia 1040, blvd. “Hristo Botev” 55
, mob. ph