Defra, the government department in charge of implementing the EUTR, had been deliberating whether to appoint the NMO or the Environment Agency to administer the programme on a day-to-day basis.
NMO inspectors will have the power to enter timber company premises on spec after the regulation is introduced in March next year.
The NMO is part of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and is responsible for the enforcement of various regulations, including energy use and weights and measures.
“The NMO has a track record in enforcement work and is now looking at resourcing our new obligations,” a spokesperson told TTJ.
A recent meeting of the Timber Trade Federation’s hardwood division heard that its members were advised to ensure their procurement systems were robust to avoid the risk of illegal timber entering the supply chain.
“The NMO will likely be concentrating on high-risk tropical hardwood cases which pose the biggest potential risk of illegality,” the division said.
A workshop focusing on the EUTR and the Timber Trade Federation’s Responsible Purchasing Policy will be held at the Building Centre on July 12. The latest thinking on the EUTR enforcement regime will be covered at the event.
