Science News
EU cracks down on sale of illegal timber
Jul 7, 2010, 12:50 GMT
Strasbourg, France - Timber harvested illegally anywhere in the world is to be banned for sale in the European Union, after the European Parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a crackdown.
The EU had long criticized the practice, but until now had not established laws against it.
European Parliament members voted by a margin of 644 to just 25 to draw up new laws that will effectively ban the marketing and sale of illegally harvested timber and wood products across the 27-member bloc.
The laws will cover both importers into the EU and companies further down the supply chain, obliging them to make sure that their products - whether raw wood or finished goods - come only from wood that was felled and exported legally.
Importers additionally will have to set up a full 'due diligence' system to prove to customers and EU regulators that their wood comes from reputable sources.
Forests around the world are shrinking by some 13 million hectares per year, and up to 40 per cent of that is estimated to be caused by illegal logging.
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