22
Jul 2008 - Deforestation, a major contributor
to climate change, is still rampant globally
and European Union countries are guilty
of compounding the problem according to
a new WWF report.
Almost one-fifth of
wood imported into the European Union in
2006 came from illegal or suspected illegal
sources, with Russia, Indonesia and China
being the main sources according to the
report - Illegal Wood for the European Market.
In 2006, the European
Union imported approximately 30 million
cubic metres of wood and related products
from illegal origins, equivalent to the
total amount of wood harvested in Poland
in the same year.
In all, 23 per cent
of wood-based products imported from eastern
Europe originated from illegal or suspect
sources, with 40 per cent from South East
Asia, 30 per cent from Latin America and
35-55 per cent from Africa.
Major importers are
Finland, UK, Germany and Italy and WWF is
calling for strong European legislation
to prevent illegal wood entering the EU
markets.
“Illegal logging destroys
the protective function of forests, increasing
risk of natural disasters such as floods
and landslides, and leads to deforestation,
one of the main causes for climate change,”
said Anke Schulmeister, WWF Forest Policy
Officer.
“Illegal logging also
pushes wood prices down resulting in major
economic losses for states, industries and
local communities. Strong measures are needed
at EU level to protect the world’s remaining
forests and our own future.”
The study highlights
the ineffectiveness of the existing EU licensing
scheme, Forest and Law Enforcement, Governance
and Trade (FLEGT). Even if all agreements
currently being negotiated by the EU with
partner countries under FLEGT were concluded
about 90 per cent of the illegal wood would
still enter the EU markets.
Furthermore, no such
negotiations are planned with countries
like Russia and China and many products
manufactured from illegal wood such as furniture
or paper are not covered by FLEGT regulation.
WWF is urging the introduction
of EU legislation to guarantee that only
legal wood is traded in the European market.
Traders should prove the origin and legality
of wood and penalties should be introduced
for any violation.
The European Commission is expected to propose
legislation on this issue in the coming
months.
+ More
Too much illegal wood
in EU markets – WWF
22 Jul 2008 - Brussels,
Belgium: Almost one-fifth of wood imported
into the European Union in 2006 came from
illegal or suspected illegal sources, with
Russia, Indonesia and China being the main
sources, says a new WWF report. The global
conservation organisation calls for strong
European legislation to prevent illegal
wood entering the EU markets.
In 2006, the European
Union imported between 26.5 and 31 million
cubic metres of wood and related products
from illegal origins, equivalent to the
total amount of wood harvested in Poland
in the same year. In all, 23 per cent of
wood-based products imported from eastern
Europe, 40 per cent from South East Asia,
30 per cent from Latin America and 36-56
per cent from Africa originated from illegal
or suspect sources. Major importers are
Finland, UK, Germany and Italy.
Illegal logging destroys
the protective function of forests, increasing
risk of natural disasters such as floods
and landslides, and leads to deforestation,
one of the main causes for climate change.
Illegal logging also pushes wood prices
down resulting in major economic losses
for states, industries and local communities,
said Anke Schulmeister, WWF Forest Policy
Officer. Strong measures are needed at EU
level to protect the worlds remaining forests
and our own future.
The study highlights
the ineffectiveness of the existing EU Forest
and Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade
(FLEGT) Licensing Scheme in stopping trade
in illegal wood. Even if all Voluntary Partnership
Agreements currently negotiated by the EU
with partner countries under FLEGT were
concluded, about 90 per cent of illegal
wood would still enter the EU markets. No
such negotiations are planned with countries
like Russia and China and many products
that are manufactured from illegal wood
(eg. furniture and other ready processed
wood products or paper) are not covered
by FLEGT regulation.
The report traces the
ten main routes for illegal wood trade.
The main trader is Russia with 10.4 million
cubic metres of illegal or suspicious wood
transferred to EU countries in 2006. Almost
half of this wood arrived in the European
market through Finland, where it was processed
into pulp and paper and then exported to
the other EU countries. While second position
is held by Indonesia, China has recently
become a major player having tripled its
exports of wood and paper products to the
EU between 2003 and 2006 - 32% suspected
to be from illegal sources. Meanwhile China
imports the greater proportion of its wood
from so-called high-risk regions like the
far east of Russia, South East Asia and
Africa, with a high probability of illegal
origin.
WWF urges the introduction
of EU legislation to guarantee that only
legal wood is traded in the European market.
Traders should prove the origin and legality
of wood and penalties should be introduced
for any violation. The European Commission
is expected to propose legislation on this
issue in the coming months.
Anke Schulmeister, WWF Forest Policy Officer
Notes to editors:
-The EU adopted the Forest Law Enforcement,
Governance and Trade (FLEGT) action plan
in 2003 to combat illegal logging and the
associated trade. Licensing regulations
in the framework of Voluntary Partnership
Agreements with producer countries seek
to exclude illegal timber from being imported
into the EU. Negotiations in this area are
ongoing with Ghana, Cameroon, Republic of
Congo, Indonesia and Malaysia.
-The WWF report estimates
that 16-19 per cent of wood imports in the
European Union in 2006 came from illegal
sources - between 26.5 and 31 million m³.
Estimated illegal wood imports amounted
to 10.4 million m³ from Russia, 4.2
million from Indonesia and 3.7 million from
China.
-Chinas exports to the
EU of legal and illegal wood and related
products amounted to 4 million m³ in
2003 and 11.5 million m³ in 2006.
-The biggest amount
of illegal wood or wood of suspicious origin
comes from Russia to Finland. Motivated
by this fact, WWF Finland, WWF Russia and
the Finnish Forest Industries Federation
(FFIF) in 2006 started negotiations aimed
at improving the tracing system of Finnish
companies operating in Russia to combat
the illegal trade of wood.
-This press release
and related material are available on: www.panda.org/eu
