The new directive includes wood and its byproducts, such as furniture. Friends of the Earth Europe welcomed the decision of the European Parliament of July 7, which will enter into force in 2012 in the 27 countries of the bloc. However, they highlighted that they will follow up the process to verify that the law is actually implemented. Some aspects of the penalties and sanctions provided by the directive are considered to be pretty weak.

The new directive puts a ban on the illegal logging of forests. Over half of the illegal wood is logged in vulnerable regions such as the Amazon basin, Central Africa, Southeast Asia and Russia. The deforestation also represents nearly 18 per cent of the annual global greenhouse gas emissions, so actually confronting this predating activity is essential in the fight against climate change.

AFP news agency reports that under the new directive, the wood importers
and other wood operators will have to prove the origin of their products and give information to the European governments on where the timber is bought and sold.

The European Commission estimates that the wood exporting countries lose nearly 19 billion dollars a year to illegal logging activities. Meanwhile, deforestation increases 13 million hectares every year.

The European governments voted the new directive when it was ensured that they would be the ones imposing the sanctions, without the European MEPs providing specific measures. The directive also included the paper industry but made one concession and left the book manufacturers and publishers out, as a result of a strong lobby.

Some civil society organizations that welcomed the initiative discussed since 2008, question instead the change in the sanctions regime, and that it will take two more years for the law to be implemented.

Friends of the Earth Europe highlights in a press release that a good implementation of the directive and a strong sanctions system are “crucial” to avoid the abuses of illegal logging.

Geert Ritsema, Friends of the Earth Europe, said: “This law, if properly enforced, will have a huge positive impact on the world’s forests and their inhabitants. It will also mean that developing countries will finally start benefiting from the revenues that, until now, have disappeared due to illegal trade.”

Friends of the Earth Europe regrets that no minimum penalties have been set at the European Parliament, and that this is decided by each government instead. The press release reads “This makes it possible for companies to move to countries with low penalties, and continue trading illegal timber”.

The exception of printed products in the new law is also a missed opportunity, with 3.2 billion euro’s spent on a yearly basis importing these products. “Friends of the Earth Europe, together with other Environmental organizations will keep a close eye on the process of implementation of the law in the near future.”

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