Possible Suspension of Timber Exports to the EU: Forests of Una-Sana Canton Victims of Devastation and Poor Laws

Bihać, 24. February 2026. year – While logging plans in Una-Sana Canton are fulfilled at 98%, forest restoration is realized at only 41%, which in the long term leads to the destruction of this resource, Transparency International in BiH (TI BiH) warned today. At the conference on forest law reform, it was emphasized that public enterprises, of which 88% of directors are politically connected, prioritize short-term exploitation over biological sustainability, while the canton, due to outdated fee calculations, loses millions.

Such practices not only devastate forests but also place Bosnia and Herzegovina in real danger of losing the European Union market. Unless digital traceability systems are urgently established and legislation is harmonized with the new EU Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR), domestic timber products will not be able to cross the border—this was the key message from the conference “Cantonal Forest Laws: Between Reform and EUDR Requirements”, organized today in Bihać by TI BiH.

At the conference, which brought together representatives of the Government and Assembly of Una-Sana Canton (USK), the management of Forest Enterprise “Unsko-sanske šume,” and experts, the concerning effects of the new EU regulation coming into force were presented, expected by the end of 2026, which requires that every timber product possess precise geolocation coordinates (WGS84) of the plot from which the wood originates, as well as proof that there has been no forest degradation at that location since 2020. . This requirement cannot be met from a legal, technical, and operational standpoint, which calls into question timber exports from Bosnia and Herzegovina to the EU, thereby jeopardizing the entire forestry sector.

“Domestic exporters face operational risk because, without a unified information system, they cannot provide valid data on origin to their EU partners. If BiH is classified as a ‘high-risk’ country due to corruption and lack of data, our trucks will undergo rigorous inspections, which threatens the closure of jobs in the timber industry,” emphasized Prof. Dr. Dženan Bećirović from the Faculty of Forestry in Sarajevo, who warned that the current fragmentation of the sector, where the Federation of BiH has no forest law and the cantons have inconsistent regulations and disconnected information systems, prevents the fulfillment of these conditions.

Special focus was placed on the situation in Una-Sana Canton, and TI BiH’s analysis showed that public enterprises in this sector often prioritize short-term revenues over long-term sustainability. Data for 2023 show that Forest Enterprise “Unsko-sanske šume” achieved the logging plan at 98%, while the reforestation plan was realized at only 41%.

Additionally, the problematic calculation of forest use fees was highlighted. USK charges a fee of 9% on the base price of timber “on the stump,” while Republika Srpska charges 10% on a higher base (truck road). Due to such differences in calculation and the absence of a federal law, the entire Federation of BiH collects three times less revenue from forest fees compared to RS, although the volume of logging is nearly identical (approximately 15.8 million BAM in the Federation of BiH versus 48.4 million BAM in RS in 2023).

TI BiH reiterated the finding that 88% of directors of forest enterprises in BiH are politically connected, which makes this sector prey to party interests instead of a resource for economic development.

Mustafa Ružnić, Prime Minister of USK, emphasized that the data on political influence in the forestry sector are unambiguous and represent a clear call for serious action: “It is high time we turn to expertise and place forest management in the service of its sustainability rather than exploitation. Therefore, we should view EUDR as an opportunity, not a threat,” he added.

During the panel discussion, it was emphasized that the new Forest Law of USK must also resolve the issue of jurisdiction in the area of forest protection as well as the manner of spending budgetary funds for these purposes, which is currently an open question since the complete transfer of authority to the Cantonal Forestry Administration has not been carried out.

Edvin Alijanović, Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry of USK, concluded that “our political responsibility is decision-making, but it is equally a professional responsibility to adopt the best solutions that will ensure transparent, accountable, and long-term forest management.”

Recommendations were issued from the conference for the urgent adoption of harmonized regulations, particularly the new Forest Law of USK, which will enable digitalization and timber traceability, depoliticization of management structures in public enterprises, and clear jurisdiction regarding forest protection and control of earmarked spending for forest restoration, in order to prevent further devastation of this resource and ensure the survival of exports.

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