Centralized National Risk Assessment for Belarus FSC-CNRA-BY V1-0 EN FSC-CNRA-BY V1-0 CENTRALIZED NATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT FOR BELARUS 2016 – 1 of 112 – Title: Centralized National Risk Assessment for Belarus Document reference FSC-CNO.A-BY V1-0 EN code: Approval body: FSC International Center: Policy and Standards Unit Date of approval: Contact for comments: FSC International Center - Policy and Standards Unit - Charles-de-Gaulle-Str. 5 53113 Bonn, Germany +49-(0)228-36766-0 +49-(0)228-36766-30 [email protected] © 2016 Forest Stewardship Council, A.C. All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the publisher’s copyright may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, recording taping, or information retrieval systems) without the written permission of the publisher. Printed copies of this document are for reference only. Please refer to the electronic copy on the FSC website (ic.fsc.org) to ensure you are referring to the latest version. The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) is an independent, not for profit, non- government organization established to support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests. FSC’s vision is that the world’s forests meet the social, ecological, and economic rights and needs of the present generation without compromising those of future generations. FSC-CNRA-BY V1-0 CENTRALIZED NATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT FOR BELARUS 2016 – 2 of 112 – Contents Risk designations in finalized risk assessments for Belarus ...................................... 4 Risk assessments ..................................................................................................... 5 Controlled wood category 1: Illegally harvested wood ........................................... 5 Overview ........................................................................................................... 5 Sources of legal timber in Belarus ..................................................................... 7 Risk assessment ............................................................................................... 8 Recommended control measures .................................................................... 55 Controlled wood category 2: Wood harvested in violation of traditional and human rights ................................................................................................................... 56 Risk assessment ............................................................................................. 56 Recommended control measures .................................................................... 56 Detailed analysis of sources of information and evidence ................................ 57 Controlled wood category 3: Wood from forests in which high conservation values are threatened by management activities ............................................................ 88 Overview ......................................................................................................... 88 Risk assessment ............................................................................................. 90 Recommended control measures .................................................................. 105 Information sources ....................................................................................... 106 Experts consulted .......................................................................................... 108 Controlled wood category 4: Wood from forests being converted to plantations or non-forest use ................................................................................................... 109 Risk assessment ........................................................................................... 109 Recommended control measures .................................................................. 111 Controlled wood category 5: Wood from forests in which genetically modified trees are planted ........................................................................................................ 112 Risk assessment ........................................................................................... 112 Recommended control measures .................................................................. 112 FSC-CNRA-BY V1-0 CENTRALIZED NATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT FOR BELARUS 2016 – 3 of 112 – Risk designations in finalized risk assessments for Belarus Indicator Risk designation (including functional scale when relevant) Controlled wood category 1: Illegally harvested wood 1.1 Low risk 1.2 Low risk 1.3 Low risk 1.4 Low risk 1.5 Low risk 1.6 Low risk 1.7 Low risk 1.8 Low risk 1.9 Specified risk 1.10 Low risk 1.11 Low risk 1.12 Low risk 1.13 Low risk 1.14 N/A 1.15 N/A 1.16 Low risk 1.17 Low risk 1.18 Low risk 1.19 Low risk 1.20 Low risk 1.21 N/A Controlled wood category 2: Wood harvested in violation of traditional and human rights 2.1 Low risk 2.2 Specified risk for trade union rights, freedom of association and collective bargaining, compulsory and/or forced labour, discrimination of women at work and gender wage discrimination. Low risk for all other aspects of indicator 2.2, mainly child labour. 2.3 Low risk Controlled wood category 3: Wood from forests where high conservation values are threatened by management activities 3.0 Low risk 3.1 Specified risk 3.2 Specified risk 3.3 Specified risk 3.4 Low risk 3.5 N/A 3.6 Low risk Controlled wood category 4: Wood from forests being converted to plantations or non-forest use 4.1 Low risk Controlled wood category 5: Wood from forests in which genetically modified trees are planted 5.1 Low risk FSC-CNRA-BY V1-0 CENTRALIZED NATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT FOR BELARUS 2016 – 4 of 112 – Risk assessments Controlled wood category 1: Illegally harvested wood Overview Forests in the Republic of Belarus are the exclusive property of the State,which means that all produced timber origins from state managed forests. The Forest Code (Forest Code of the Republic of Belarus of 2015 No. 332-Z) states that Belarusian forests are divided into 4 categories according to the management purpose: conservation forests, recreation and health forests, protected forests, managed forests. Harvesting of timber is allowed depending on the management and protection regime assigned based on the forest category. Forest management permits are based on the Forest Management Plan and Charter (Statute) of Forestry Enterprise. Timber harvesting is regulated according to the Edict of the President of the Republic of Belarus No.214 of 07.05.2007 (in conformity with the Edict of the President of the Republic of Belarus No.504 of 08.11.2012). All timber sales are based on online trading (bidding), which is managed by the Timber Trade Department of the Open Joint Stock Company "Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange”. Timber can only be purchased by organisations registered in the database of the Open Joint Stock Company and must follow open official procedures. The authorities responsible for monitoring of timber harvesting and other forestry measures are as follows (Forest Code, Chapter 23, Article 106): 1) State authority of Environmental Protection (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus) as well as its territorial bodies; 2) State Control Committee of the Republic of Belarus; 3) State Inspectorate for Protection of Fauna and Flora under the President of the Republic of Belarus; 4) Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Belarus; 5) State authority of Forestry Management (Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Belarus, Ministry of Defence, etc.), as well as State Regional Forestry Boards (GPLHO); 6) Other state bodies (organisations) in accordance with the legislative acts (paragraph 2.6 of Article 106). Logging licenses are based on the data of Forest Management Plan. Harvest permits are either 1. “Logging bilet” (permission for felling of forest stand) or “Forest warrant” (“Order”) (permission for felling of a part of forest stand or individual trees). 2. Forest warrant is issued for logging by “citizens” (local people) of no more than 50 cubic meters of wood. FSC-CNRA-BY V1-0 CENTRALIZED NATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT FOR BELARUS 2016 – 5 of 112 – 3. Forest Card (“Forest bilet”) is a permission for harvesting of non-timber products. This means that the logging permits are not divided into different types of logging. In 2015, Belarus had a CPI of 32 (below the threshold of 50) and according to the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators (on a scale of -2,5 to 2,5 in 2014) received a score of -0,50 for Government Effectiveness, -0,81 on Rule of Law and -0,32 on Control of Corruption. This indicates that the country has high corruption levels and a low degree of legal compliance despite the governance score having improved over the last 10 years. With regard to forestry and the issuance of permits for logging, specific instances of bribery and corruption are not known. There are a few cases about attempts to bribe forestry officials, but these cases are not related to forestry activities (i.e. not related to the issuance of permits, but related to the construction of buildings) (Sources: the official website of the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Belarus). The list of sources provided in FSC-PRO-60-002a, section 3.3.3 has been reviewed for relevance with regard to the national legality risk assessment of Belarus. The following sources have been