Image courtesy of the European CommissionIllegal logging is a $10 billion business, according to Interpol, and is falling into the clutches of organized crime.
To fight the illegal timber trade, the EU enacted legislation this month that binds all 27 member states to regulate anyone who buys or sells timber and timber products for the commercial market in the EU.
The new law — the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) — requires operators and traders to set up an effective Due Diligence System (DDS). The system has to track and make available information about the origin and quantity of shipments and supplier details.
Operators and traders must also assess all timber and timber products to ensure production is in compliance with the laws of the country of origin.
More information on the EU Timber Regulation can be found on this website.
The full 2012 Interpol Report on illegal logging can be downloaded in pdf here.
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Melanie Lansakara is a researcher for ethiXbase.
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