The National Audit Office (NAO) has identified serious shortcomings in forest management in Kosovo, including illegal logging, land usurpation, and damage within protected areas — the monetary loss for the period 2020–2023 amounts to €5.3 million. The NAO assessed that responsible institutions have failed to ensure proper oversight, inventory, and protection of forest resources.
According to the report on “Protection, Development, and Renewal of Forest Areas,” the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, the Forestry Agency, and the Ministry of Environment — all tasked with forest management — have not guaranteed sustainable protection and development.
The NAO report highlights numerous deficiencies, including illegal exploitation, lack of reforestation by leaseholders, alienation of state forest lands, insufficient qualified staff, and poor management of technical personnel.
“According to the Forestry Agency’s estimates, damages from illegal logging in public forests reached over €5.3 million within four years, while over 10,000 hectares were burned in the last five years — largely caused by human negligence, ignorance, or arson, combined with high temperatures,” the report states.
The NAO further noted that the Forestry Agency lacks complete information on the properties it manages. By 2024, 246 cases of land usurpation had been identified, alongside more than 2,200 lease requests from users of public land — revealing widespread unauthorized use.
Additionally, about 11,600 hectares underwent cadastral changes between 2014–2024, often without the Forestry Agency’s knowledge, indicating poor inter-institutional coordination.
Illegal logging and unlicensed construction were also reported in Kosovo’s national parks. In the “Sharri” National Park, around 70% of the territory is not covered by forest rangers, contributing to widespread illegal logging. In the “Bjeshkët e Nemuna” National Park, the number of unlicensed buildings doubled from around 2,900 in 2010 to over 6,000 in 2024.
The NAO recommended stronger institutional control, unified cadastral data, and effective supervision of lease agreements. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Agency pledged to implement the recommendations, while the Cadastral Agency has not responded to the audit’s findings.
