Ukraine’s forest industry will be reformed.

158 state forestry enterprises will be united into a single state specialized enterprise, Forests of Ukraine. Instead of 24 forestry and hunting interregional offices, there will be nine regional offices, the Ministry of Environment reported. The reform will resolve the present conflict of interests within the forestry sector. The State Forestry Agency will have control functions, and the newly created enterprise will have economic functions. One of the tasks of the reform is to retain professionals in the forest industry with a decent salary, which will reduce the level of corruption. Also, the document states that it is forbidden to privatize state-owned forests, and 100% of the Forest of Ukraine’s shares belong to the state. The new reform will also provide an opportunity to attract European investment for the development of the industry and will allow profits not only through the harvesting and processing of wood but also through the development of recreational facilities and the production of eco-products.