Meeting with the Minister of Environment, of the Republic of Lithuania, regarding the round-wood trade policy

On 4 July 2011, the Director of the Wood-processors Association, Juozupas Zimnickas (General Director of UAB “Juodeliai”) attended the meeting with the Minister of Environment, G. Kazlauskas. The topic of the meeting involved the regulations of the round-wood trade (auctions). The discussion also concerned other important topics.

It is notable that the Minister supported (presently, only verbally) the proposal of the Director of the Association: to move the current order (with minor improvements) of the round-wood trade into the digital space, and to refuse to hold the auctions.

Unfortunately, this position was not supported by the association “Lithuanian Wood”, which was also attending the meeting, and which was clearly protecting the interests of large companies and bio-fuel producers.

Mr. Zimnickas outlined his idea of an alternative energy to the Minister of Environment; that straw and energy crops (willows) could effectively replace bio-fuel, and thus protect the wood that is suitable for cutting, from the de-forestation. The Minister agreed to this idea, and promised to help implement as much as possible such idea of the alternative energy.

We should also be proud that we have received the support, regarding the order of the round-wood trade, from the Directorate-General of State Forests, which sent a letter to the Ministry of Environment with the suggestion to maintain the current process — that is, to move it to the digital space.

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