By Martin Banks - 13th April 2010
I hope to see substantial backing from fellow MEPs
Caroline Lucas
MEPs are expected to give the green light to plans for a possible ban on the "illegal" timber trade in the EU.
A draft recommendation on legislative proposals to prohibit the import of illegally sourced timber and curb deforestation was being debated by the environment committee on Tuesday.
The proposals, drafted by UK Green MEP Caroline Lucas, could lead to a full ban on illegal timber throughout the EU.
Lucas says the draft, which is before parliament for its second reading, "would go some way to reining in the rampant illegal deforestation that currently occurs across the globe".
Lucas is parliament's rapporteur on the proposal for a regulation laying down the obligations for operators who place timber and timber products on the market.
Her report is seeking an EU ban on the import and trade in illegally logged timber applying to operators throughout the supply chain – making it clear that all operators in the market share the responsibility for trading only legally sourced wood.
Speaking ahead of the debate, she said, "As my draft regulation on the illegal trade in timber and wood products returns to parliament, I hope to see substantial backing from fellow MEPs for reinstating the strict and effective measures that received overwhelming support during the first reading in April 2009.
"Several of these tough measures were deleted by the EU council back in March, when they officially adopted a weak common position on the timber proposals, which fell far short of the progressive position backed by parliament."
Lucas says the EU "cannot afford to delay this legislation any longer".
Deforestation, she says, is occurring at a rate of approximately 13 million hectares per year and is responsible for nearly 20 per cent of global carbon emissions. Illegal logging is a "major driver" of deforestation, with the volume of industrial wood from illegal sources estimated at 350 to 650 million m3 per year.
"For years the EU has preached against illegal timber but continued to provide one of the biggest markets for it. Between 20 per cent and 40 per cent of global industrial wood production is estimated to come from illegal sources, and up to 20 per cent finds its way into the EU – with biodiversity and forest-dependent peoples paying the price.
"The longer term effects are potentially even more serious, since deforestation accounts for nearly a fifth of the global total emissions causing climate change," said Lucas.
She continued, "As a major consumer, the EU has an obligation to take effective action against deforestation and illegal logging by ceasing to provide a market for illegally harvested timber and timber products."
Her report fleshes out what the system would consist of and how risk assessment would work and aims to improve traceability and monitoring and enforcement measures.
She says a comprehensive and harmonised system of penalties, including criminal penalties for gross infringements of the law, "would give it real teeth".
Parliament's draft recommendation – including tabled amendments – will be voted on by the environment committee at the beginning of May.
Meanwhile, a group of four leading European retailers have launched the "Timber retail coalition" (TRC) to support measures to curb illegally harvested timber.
The four, Kingfisher, Marks & Spencer, IKEA and Carrefour Group, all members of the European retail round table, say the TRC is committed to tackling global deforestation linked to climate change.
Ian Cheshire, Group CEO, Kingfisher plc, said, "The TRC's ultimate aim is to provide our customers with the reassurance that every single wood product they buy has been legally sourced. We now need Brussels to take the action necessary to achieve this, by regulating against imports of illegal timber to the EU."
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