Ukraine should as soon as possible settle the issue of trade with unprocessed timber, as the ban on its exports hinders the provision of the second and third tranche of macro-financial assistance in the amount of EUR 1.2 billion by the European Union (EU), Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade - Trade Representative of Ukraine Natalia Mykolska has said.

"The removal of this important impediment to trade is one of the necessary criteria for continuation of the implementation of the third EU macro-financial assistance programme in Ukraine. The second and third tranches total EUR 1.2 billion and foresee further liberalization of trade with the EU," the press service of the Economic Development and Trade Ministry has reported, citing Mykolska who was speaking at a Tuesday meeting devoted to the problems of unprocessed timber.

The meeting was led by Agricultural Policy and Food Minister Taras Kutovy.

Possible ways to improve the situation in the timber sector were discussed. This could be accomplished by the application of new mechanisms for selling and exporting of timber, introduction of electronic timber registers and electronic devices designed to determine timber origin.

"[The meeting participants] decided to continue attracting timber sector associations and companies to determine possible ways of resolving the issue," the ministry said.

On April 9, 2015 the Verkhovna Rada passed a bill banning exports of round timber for 10 years. A ban to exports timber, apart from pine, was introduced on November 1, 2015 and pine – from January 1, 2017.