Act No. XXXVII of 2009 on forests, on the protection and management of forests.

This Act provides a comprehensive frame for forestry management and forest protection. It is considered the most rigorous forest act in Europe. The Act is divided into thirteen sections. The objective of the Act is, through the regulation of the relation between forests and the society, and, in particular, through the determination of sustainable requirements of forest management, to assure the maintenance, the protection, the growth, and the increase of its positive effects on the environment, the society and the economy. In Section I, general rules regarding forests and forest management are set out. Forests must be divided into planning districts. These are the units with regard to planning and monitoring of sustainable forest managing activities. Forests are registered in the National Forest Database. Forest manager (the proprietor or the user) are also registered. The Act foresees also the establishment of the National Forest Council that is an opinion and proposal maker body. Section II deals with the destination and operational mode of forests. Forests are to be classified with regard to their primary destination: protection, public welfare and economic use. Section III regulates forest planning and the reporting-authorization system of forestry activity. Section IV regards forestation. Section V provides rules for the restoration, bringing-up and restructuring of forests. Prevention and protection against harms (caused by pests, wildlife, harmful activities, fire) to forests and the soil are rules in Section VI. Section VII regards profitable activities in forests, such as timber extraction, collection of propagating material, collection of galipot. In Section IX on the use of forests for transporting and on the visiting of forest, contains an important title regarding the certification of origin of timber. Section X provides rules on professional governance of forestry works, forest workers and on the forest guarding service. Forest administration is provided for in Section XI. Penalties are set forth in Section XII.