14 DAY TRIAL // This Monday, October 11, the European Parliament overwhelmingly approved a critically-important set of laws called the EU Regulation on Illegal Logging, which essentially declares war to illegal logging.
Previously, the Council of Ministers had approved the same document in its draft form, and the laws managed to pass through Parliament with an impressive number of votes for, 644, and only 25 against.
The most important provision in the new legislation is that all timber operators placing their merchandise on the market for the first time will have to make sure that they are selling wood that has been harvested legally.
This was now a provision before, and so this loophole left ample room for illegal operators to sell their products at prices lower than those of their competition.
Practices such as these have a very negative effect, because they discourage operators that want to exploit the forest in a sustainable manner, while at the same time paying taxes that go to reforestation projects.
“WWF's Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN) welcomes this development and looks forward to the day on which Europe is no longer a market for illegal timber,” says George White.
“For too long, those striving to operate responsibly, such as companies participating in the GFTN, have been forced to compete on an uneven playing field against less scrupulous operators,” adds the official, who is the head of the GFTN.
The new European documents call for the creation of “due diligence” systems for preventing illegal deforestation. These mechanisms would ensure that sustainability of exploitation is maintained.
The three main elements that this provision needs to incorporate are access to information, risk assessment and mitigation of the risk identified.
“The passing of this Regulation sends a strong message to forest managers, forest communities and governments worldwide that their efforts to act responsibly and within the law is appreciated and now needed within this major market,” White explains.
“Combined with the US Lacey Act, this new Regulation begins to close two of the world's major markets to those who act irresponsibly and outside the law,” the official says.
“The GFTN will continue to welcome companies that seek guidance on legal compliance and are committed towards taking this first step towards responsible forest management and building a solid foundation for robust and responsible forest products industry,” the GFTN official concludes.