Poland to define wood as strategic commodity
The government is developing a new law that will include wood into the group of strategic commodities, limiting its export from Poland, ministers of development and climate have said.
Krzysztof Paszyk, the development and technology minister, told a press conference on Friday that his ministry had been working on relevant regulations since March and that he was hoping for the new legislation to "take shape in the coming weeks".
He said that the government was going to define wood as a commodity of strategic importance for the Polish economy to ensure its accessibility at the national level. The ministry would also aim to introduce a similar solution applicable to the whole European Union, which would limit the export of wood outside the bloc.
Meanwhile, the new Polish regulations will enhance the audit of the country's wood stock in terms of its origin and destination.
"It is a real issue today. Plenty of wood disappears from the (local - PAP) market, finding its way to China, for example," said Paszyk, adding that some of the raw material returned to Poland in the form of China-manufactured furniture.
Deputy Climate Minister Milosz Motyka added that despite wood exports falling last year, the country needed a systemic solution to ensure that wood was sufficiently available for local businesses. (PAP)
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