The European Union is stepping up the fight against the billion dollar illegal logging trade amid allegations that is fuelling organised crime and conflict in some of the world’s poorest countries.
EU farm ministers have instructed the EU‘s Executive Commission to draft legislation for certifying legal timber imports in a bid to clean up the US$150bn global forest product trade.
A key part of the battle will be to stop the trade’s laundered profits being diverted into organised crime.
Environmental groups estimate that European imports of illegally-sourced timber are worth €1.2bn a year.
Under the planned scheme, once a country or regional bloc has signed up to a Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade agreement, the EU will refuse to accept imported timber from that state unless it is certified as legal.
