The European Parliament’s full session has overwhelmingly voted in favour of banning illegally-logged timber imports into the EU.
MEPs meeting today in Strasbourg voted 644 in favour of legislation to prohibit illegal timber imports, with due diligence requirements on timber importers. Twenty-five MEPs voted against and 16 abstained.
The draft regulation will now go to the European Council of Ministers for a decision, expected to be a formality following a recent breakthrough in informal negotiations between the parliament and council.
The regulation would then be likely to become law by the end of 2012.
