EU to tighten controls on illegal timber imports 

EU farm ministers have adopted a regulation on 24 October to establish a licensing scheme for imports of timber products into the EU. 

The scheme will impose partner countries to produce an export licence stating that the timber products have been legally harvested. However, exporting countries will remain free to participate in the scheme which is based on a voluntary partnership agreement to be negotiated with the European Commission. 

Development and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel said: "Only by working in close partnership with timber-producing countries can we hope to have a real impact. The partnership agreements provide producing countries with the incentives and support required for them to fight illegal logging."

The partnership agreements with exporting countries will be concluded in accordance with the so-called 'EU Action Plan for Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade' (FLEGT).

In the run up to the ministers' meeting, Greenpeace drew attention to "the loopholes in the scheme, including the fact that the partnership agreements are purely voluntary" and that "laundered" illegal timber could still be exported from the partner countries via other ones who do not participate in the scheme.