LUXEMBOURG: Greenpeace activists will today (24th October) send a clear message to EU agriculture and development ministers meeting in Luxembourg and Leeds (UK): that unless they prohibit illegal timber imports to the EU and support sustainable forest management globally, their efforts to stop illegal logging will not end rainforest destruction in the poorest regions of the world. Farm Ministers are due to reach a political agreement on voluntary measures to combat illegal logging and support forest governance reform in timber-producing countries [1].
Activists in Luxembourg have secured a banner at the entrance to the meeting reading 'Ban illegal timber'. At both meetings, they will also attempt to present political representatives with letters made of illegal timber from the world's last rainforests, which continues to flood onto European markets.
"Currently the EU is proposing voluntary measures to tackle illegal logging; this is like asking companies to voluntarily pay taxes. Legality should be a precondition for doing business not a vain wish," said Sebastien Risso of Greenpeace. "Efforts to clamp down on illegal logging will fail unless there are proper laws in place to stop the European demand for cheap timber products from illegal and destructive sources."
As a major market for tropical hardwood, the EU plays a key role in the international trade in illegal and destructively sourced timber. Yet, currently no laws in Europe allow authorities to seize shipments of illegally logged timber, nor hold importers and traders of illegal timber accountable, who remain free to profit from forest destruction.
The package of measures proposed by the Commission includes voluntary agreements between the EU and timber producing countries, which are aimed at improving governance and forest management on the ground and implementing a licensing scheme to ensure they only export legal timber to Europe. Negotiations are expected to begin next year with five "partner countries": Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Ghana, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Greenpeace has repeatedly drawn attention to the loopholes in the scheme, including the fact that the partnership agreements are purely voluntary; that illegal timber could still be exported from partner countries via third countries (such as China) for processing and enter the EU as 'laundered' timber; that it applies only to a limited range of timber products [2]; and that it will be built on existing licensing schemes which have been criticised as corrupt and ineffective.
The scheme also fails to consider sustainable forest management. Without strong safeguards and meaningful input from civil society and local communities in producer countries, negotiations could backfire and result in the laundering of illegally and destructively harvested timber through the established licensing system, Greenpeace warns.
To outline how legislation to stop the import of illegal timber could work, Greenpeace, FERN and WWF drafted model legislation in November 2004. Over 180 NGOs and 70 EU businesses, as well as the European Parliament, supported this call for legislation. To date, the European Commission has failed to deliver on a promise for legislative options.
"Europe must take responsibility for what it allows on the market. Without effective measures to guarantee sustainable trade and consumption, the last ancient forests on Earth will vanish," said Sebastien Risso.
In the last 10 days, Greenpeace has exposed a trail of rainforest timber to the EU supplied by companies known to be actively involved in illegal logging activities: from the Congo Basin to Italy, from Papua New Guinea via China to the UK, and from the Brazilian Amazon to Spain, where it has been used in the renovation of the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid [3].
More information
Contact Sebastien Risso, EU forests policy adviser, Greenpeace European Unit, tel: +32 (0)496 12 70 09, or e-mail sebastien.risso@diala.greenpeace.org.
Katharine Mill, media officer, Greenpeace European Unit, tel: tel +32 (0)2 274 1903, +32 (0)496 156 229
Editor's notes
- The representatives are Margaret Beckett (UK Minister for DEFRA), the Chair of the Agricultural Minister's Meeting in Luxembourg, Hillary Benn (UK Minister for Development) Chair of the Development Minister's meeting in Leeds and Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development.The European Commission submitted an Action Plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) in May 2003. It recommended the development of: Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) with producer countries, which are aimed at supporting governance reforms, providing capacity building and establishing a licensing system to ensure that only timber certified as legal will be exported from signatory countries to the EU. The development of further legislative options that could include legislation to prohibit the import of illegally logged timber products into Europe." The implementation of a green procurement policy which aims to ensure that public money is spent to purchase only timber products coming from legal and sustainable sources.
- The licensing scheme will initially cover plywood, logs and sawn timber products. Where agreed with a partner country, the range of products could be extended to other product categories.
- For more information on the UK action, please visit : www.saveordelete.com.
See the new Greenpeace fact sheet: Lawless: how Europe's borders remain open to illegal timber"
