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4.43. The State Programme on Forest Development aims to better protect and maintain forests, improving forest management to ensure sustainable forest use and development of the forest sector. The State Programme was revised multiple times over the reporting period and now spans the period 2013-2024 with planned budget of RUB 180 billion allocated for the period 2016-2020. (...).

4.46. Despite efforts to improve forest management and the national automated information system for timber (transactions), which is already in place , challenges remain including with the legal control of wood and illegal logging. Estimates of the share of illegal logging in total timber harvesting vary greatly, but analysis approximates it around 20%, with rates much higher in the Far East region. A UN research report estimates that illegal logging is primarily the result of misuse of permits, often complex networks of intermediary companies, and over-harvesting, with bribery also playing a role. The Government aims to address these issues and over the reporting period it lowered the criminal liability threshold for illegal trafficking of forest resources to be considered a crime under Article 226.1 of the Penal Code. As of June 2021, the area of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified forests in the Russian Federation has grown to 60.7 million hectares, more than a quarter of forests certified globally under the FSC scheme, with more than 1,000 companies certified. According to the authorities, these include the largest 10 companies.

4.49. The sector is regulated overall by Federal Law No. 166-FZ of 20 December 2004 on Fishing and Conservation of Aquatic Biological Resources (as amended) (...).

4.50. Catch quotas are allocated by the Federal Agency for Fishery under a total allowable catch (TAC) system. Based on a TAC by species and fishing zone (or basin) set by the Agency, quotas are allocated to the activities of commercial fishing, (...) as well as fishing in order to ensure the traditional way of life and the implementation of traditional economic activities of the indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East of the Russian Federation. (...) Fishing rules are also in place by fishing basin and are revised from time to time, according to fisheries management objectives.

4.56. According to the authorities, the Russian Federation aims to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in line with the International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. The Russian Federation is a party to the UN Fish Stocks Agreement and the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (ratified by the Russian Federation in December 2020), but not to the Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas. According to the authorities, the Russian Federation also concluded bilateral agreements to combat IUU fishing with the Republic of Korea, China, Japan, the United States, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and a number of other countries, and fishing vessels registered in the Russian Federation carry an International Maritime Organization (IMO) identification number.

4.79. The Russian Federation has the world's fourth-largest electricity system, after the United States, China, and India. (...) Gas accounts for 46% of electricity generation, followed by coal (18%), hydro (18%), and nuclear power (17%). The role of non-hydro renewable energy in electricity production is very small.

4.85. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation (MinPrirody of Russia) carries out the functions of developing state policy and legal regulation in the field of study, use, reproduction, and protection of natural resources, including subsoil. Within its competence, the Ministry also ensures the fulfilment of obligations arising from international treaties on issues related to its sphere of activity. The Ministry coordinates and controls the activities of its subordinates: the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources, the Federal Agency for Water Resources, the Federal Agency for Forestry, and the Federal Agency for Subsoil Use.

4.86. The Ministry of Energy carries out the functions of developing and implementing (...) renewable energy sources; (...). In addition, the Ministry of Energy carries out the functions of developing state policy and legal regulation in the field of energy saving and increasing energy efficiency on information support of measures for energy saving and increasing energy efficiency, (...).

Table A1.5 Trade in services by sector, 2016-20
Waste treatment and depollution, agricultural and mining services
Exports: 2016: 612; 2017: 671; 2018: 737; 2019: 699; 2020: 601
Imports: 2016: 2,345; 2017: 2,162; 2018: 2,457; 2019: 2,318; 2020: 2,152
Trade balance: 2016: -1,734; 2017: -1,491; 2018: -1,720: 2019: -1,618; 2020: -1,552

Fisheries industry plays an important role in maintaining food security of the Russian Federation, conservation of aquatic biological resources and improvement of population life quality.