Ignoring a EU demand for free trade in lumber, the Rada approved a bill that calls for stiff penalties for exports of ‘rough timber’

Ignoring a EU demand for free trade in lumber, the Rada approved a bill that calls for stiff penalties for exports of ‘rough timber’ or round wood logs. Designed to preserve Ukrainian forests and promote the domestic furniture industry, the bill calls for jail sentences up to 12 years for wood smugglers who are repeat offenders. Offering a potential loophole, the bill allows the export of firewood.