Trade in illegal wood cut down to size - 2010-07-07

A new system to ensure the wood used by British companies and citizens isn't made from illegally chopped down trees has been agreed by the European Parliament.

Illegal logging is a major cause of global deforestation, contributing to climate change and a loss of biodiversity. It also feeds money into organised crime and damages the economies of many developing countries.

The environmental charity WWF estimates that 7.2 per cent of UK wood imports could come from illegal sources.

Now that new pan-EU rules have been endorsed by MEPs, it will become easier to buy wood in confidence that it has come from a legal source.

Linda McAvan MEP, Labour's European Parliament spokesperson on the environment, welcomed the result of the vote: "The fight against illegal deforestation took a big step forward today.

"Campaigners estimate that there is a black market in illegally sourced wood worth around two billion pounds across the EU each year.

"It is bad for communities, damaging to the environment and it robs developing countries of an important stream of income.

"Until now the European Union has only had voluntary codes in place to try to stop this kind of trade, but it's clear they haven't been working.

"We now have properly enforceable rules to ban the placing of illegally logged wood on the European market and to ensure that traders can show exactly where their wood has come from."

The agreement comes after two years of negotiations between the European Parliament and EU governments. A petition backed by around 125,000 people was presented to the parliament by campaigners. It has been a major postbag issue for MEPs with constituents calling for their representatives to back the new rules, which are expected to come into force in 2012.

Linda McAvan added: "This is a big victory for MEPs and campaigners who have been pushing the European Commission to act for many years. We will keep up the pressure to make sure EU countries properly enact the legislation.

"These new rules will make a massive difference, both to developing countries and in our battle against climate change."

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