European Union Timber Regulation Impacts Global Hardwood Markets
| Autor: | PEPKE Ed, GIURCA Alexander, JONSSON KLAS HENRIK RAGNAR, LOVRIC Marko |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2013 |
| Popis: | Implemented in March 2013, the EU Timber Regulation is affecting hardwood exporters and importers. The EUTR requires proof of timber’s origin and legality to ensure that no illegal timber is imported into the EU. The EUTR is part of the EU’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan, with its specific goal to end illegal logging, thereby improving sustainability of forest resources. To this end the EU intends to block imports of any wood or wood product which comes from unknown sources. Certification of SFM will help EU importers minimize risk, which is an essential part of their required due diligence system. Monitoring organizations are established to assist trade associations and businesses to construct comprehensive due diligence systems. National competent authorities are designated to follow the trade of the new FLEGT-licensed timber and timber products. In 2013, the first year of the EUTR, there are positive impacts, of which the most important is awareness of the disastrous situation with illegal logging, driven by exports of illegal timber. Another positive development is tropical timber exporters documenting the legality of their wood exports. Yet another positive feature is establishment of due diligence systems by EU importers. However, there are considerable problems to ensuring legal trade. For example, China exports primary- and secondary-processed hardwood products to Europe, based on imported logs which most often do not have comprehensive documentation of their origin and legality. Other problems exist too, and the implementation of the EUTR may eventually be defined similar to the US Lacey Act Amendment, i.e. by the courts of law. JRC.H.3-Forest Resources and Climate |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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