Ukrainians can be fined large sums and even sentenced to up to seven years in prison for storing firewood without documents.
The relevant draft law was approved in the Verkhovna Rada in October and submitted to the President for signature. It is now being discussed in almost all villages.
The letters of the draft law
Draft Law No. 9665 aims to prevent illegal logging and sale of timber in Ukraine. It provides for increased responsibility for storing, transporting or selling firewood without documents on its origin.
On October 10, the parliament adopted a draft law amending the Administrative and Criminal Codes regarding punishment for storing firewood without documents.
Thus, the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses will be supplemented by a new Article 65².
This article will provide for liability for the illegal transportation, storage, sale of trees, shrubs or wood, without documents that confirm the legality of the origin of trees, shrubs or wood, or with such documents that are forged, obtained illegally or that contain knowingly false information.
The fine for firewood will be:
for citizens — 510 — 1,530 UAH,
for officials — 3,400 — 15,300 UAH.
Article 246¹ of the Criminal Code of Ukraine will appear in the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The same acts, committed in a significant amount, will be punished by a fine from 34 to 51 thousand UAH or restriction of liberty for a term of up to three years, or imprisonment for the same term.
The same actions committed repeatedly or by prior conspiracy by a group of persons, or committed on a large scale, will be punished by a fine from 170 to 425 thousand or imprisonment for a term of five to seven years.
A significant amount means the value of trees, shrubs or wood, which exceeds 20 tax-free minimum incomes of citizens (now it is UAH 30,280).
Under the large size — more than 60 tax-free minimum incomes of citizens (or UAH 90,840).
Clarification from lawmakers
If Zelensky signs the law, almost all residents of villages who use firewood for their own needs may become violators, according to lawyers.
Violators of the law can become almost all residents of villages who heat their houses with firewood. Illustrative photo: from open sources
Today, November 5, the press service of «Servants of the People» gave an explanation regarding the scandalous law.
Draft law No. 9665 on improving liability for offenses in the field of forest use and combating illegal timber trafficking is not aimed at the population that uses firewood to heat their own homes, but concerns illegal sawmills.
Citizens will not bear any responsibility for storing 30 cubic meters. of pine wood or 15 cubic meters of oak trees is the volume that a household needs for the heating season. Since the law is not retroactive, state authorities, including the police, do not have the right to demand documents for existing wood that was purchased before the law came into force.
This was stated by People’s Deputy, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Law Enforcement and one of the authors of the draft law Maksym Pavlyuk, the press service of «Servants of the People» reported.
«Some mass media reported that the norms of the voted draft law prohibit the population from storing firewood at home for personal use without supporting documents. Such reports are completely untrue and are not just an arbitrary interpretation of the voted norms, but an outright lie,» said the deputy.
He emphasized that the voted document refers to «black loggers», illegal sawmills, and not to the population that is heated by firewood. According to the people’s deputy, the law is designed to stop illegal felling and does not in any way concern wood for domestic use. Namely, 30 cubic meters. pine trees, or 15 cubic meters oak tree
«In other words, a person bears no responsibility for storing 30 cubic meters. of pine wood, or 15 cubic meters oak This is the volume that a household needs for the heating season, and even something with a margin,» explained Pavlyuk.
He noted that in order to incur criminal liability, it is necessary to store more than UAH 30,000, and this, on average, according to DrovaE, is 30 cubic meters. pine trees, or 15 cubic meters oak tree
«Therefore, for ordinary households that are not engaged in the processing or sale of wood on an industrial scale, this law will not matter,» the People’s Deputy assured.
Lawyers also remind that the law has not yet entered into force, and when it comes into effect, it will not have retroactive effect. Therefore, none of the state authorities or the police will have the right to demand any documents about where a person got firewood or other wood.