27.11.2020
The ATIBT has been following the process of revision of the forestry law since 2014 which was definitively adopted this year.
This bill was first adopted by the National Assembly in the December 2019 session, then by the upper house of parliament (Senate) in the April 2020 session, and was finally adopted on 8 July 2020 as Law No. 33-2020 on the Forestry Code. See ATIBT article on the enactment
This new forestry code introduces important innovations compared to the previous sectoral legal framework.
It is in this context, to know the implications of the current law in the short and medium-term for forestry and industrial companies, as well as for the forest economy, work has been launched by the ATIBT, which is divided into two parts :
A comparative analysis between the old and new forestry codes : it identifies (i) stable elements, (ii) modifications, (iii) new elements, (iv) elements requiring additional implementing texts, and (v) elements that raise issues of interpretation.
A reading guide to the new Forest Code of the Republic of Congo for the private sector which gives companies, a key to better understand the impacts of the new law, to enable them to contribute to the elaboration of implementation texts.
This work is helping to popularize the new Code to the private sector so that they can understand better the issues for the sector.
At the same time, two other very important works for companies are in progress :
- Studies of the modalities of implementation of the Production Sharing provided in the new Forestry Code - 2020" by FRMi.
- A preparatory study for the implementing drafting texts in the forestry code in the Congo. This study, financed by EFI from FCDO (ex DFID) funds, mobilizes 4 legal and forestry experts and should enable - after analysis of Law 33-2020, the first versions of existing implementation texts and consultations with stakeholders (including the private sector) - to establish a roadmap for the participatory elaboration of implementation texts which will be the subject of additional technical and financial support.
Also, we recall that a study of the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the forest production sharing regime is foreseen in milestone 4.11 of the Republic of Congo's letter of intent within the framework of CAFI.
Useful contacts
Caroline Duhesme - ATIBT
Alain Tiotsop - ATIBT Congo
Paul BERTAUX – FRMi
Baptiste Marquant - Forest Consultant (Preparatory study on application texts)
