Energy crisis: it is forbidden to take firewood out of the country – news from Debrecen, news from Debrecen | Debrecen and Hajdú-Bihar county news
Energy crisis: it is forbidden to take firewood out of the country
Budapest – Purchased firewood can be used for social purposes or to ensure uninterrupted performance of state and local government public duties.
Due to the energy crisis caused by the war and Brussels sanctions, the government orders an export ban on energy carriers, including firewood. The export of firewood, which is of strategic importance from the point of view of the security of the energy supply, is under the control of the government, and it can limit it if necessary, and can use its right of pre-emption – said Minister of Agriculture István Nagy in connection with the decree published in the Magyar Közlöny.
Photo illustration – dehir.hu archive
In a statement delivered to MTI on Tuesday, the head of the ministry drew attention to the fact that the energy crisis in Europe has developed due to the protracted Russian-Ukrainian war and Brussels sanctions. Brussels has admitted that there is a gas shortage and may even impose restrictions on gas use. There is also an energy-dangerous situation in Hungary, and extraordinary measures are necessary to ensure a safe energy supply for Hungarian families. In addition to the government buying new gas reserves and increasing gas production, part of the extraordinary measures is to ensure the control, regulation and, if necessary, even the ban of the export of firewood abroad in order to ensure the supply of domestic fuel – István Nagy added.
Pursuant to the new decree, organizations and private individuals that export firewood are obliged to report all planned foreign sales to the National Food Chain Safety Office (NÉBIH), which provides information to the Ministry of Agriculture. If the wood that the applicant intends to sell abroad is needed for the supply of the Hungarian population and intermediaries, the government uses its right of pre-emption provided for in the decree and purchases the quantity for domestic public purposes through the appointed state forest manager.
It is very important that it is not a general ban, but an emergency regulation that ensures the energy needs of the Hungarian people – summarized István Nagy. Pursuant to the provision, purchased firewood can be used for social purposes or to ensure the smooth performance of state and local government public duties.
The head of the ministry reminded that wood, as a renewable source of energy from sustainable management, plays an important role in providing heat energy for Hungarian families. Farmers produce approximately 6.5 million cubic meters of wood annually from domestic forests, which is less than the natural growth of forests each year, so the country can count on sustainably available wood in the long term. This year, only about 1.3 million cubic meters of firewood can be extracted from the state forestry farms, which can be increased in the year corresponding to the emergency measures, subject to official control, without the risk of damaging the forests, the head of the agricultural ministry pointed out.