Support Study for the Development of the Non-legislative Acts as Provided for in the EU Timber Regulation

Programme

EFICENT-OEF

Description

The project aims to identify the most efficient ways to fulfil the requirements of the EU Timber Regulation with respect to risk assessment systems and the role of monitoring organizations, taking into account in particular relevant best practices.

Given the major scale and urgency of the problem of deforestation, it was necessary to complement and reinforce the FLEGT Action Plan with additional measures. Therefore, in October 2008 the European Commission presented a legislative proposal aimed at minimising the risk of illegally harvested timber entering the EU. This new Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council lays down the obligations of operators who place timber and timber products on the market. It requires operators within the EU that supply timber and timber products to the EU market for the first time to exercise “due diligence”.

The due diligence system should contain the following 3 elements:
1. measures and procedures providing access to information concerning the operator’s supply of timber;
2. risk assessment procedures;
3. risk mitigation procedures.

EFI is the coordinator of the project. Sub-contractors are Indufor, Finland and University of Padova, Italy.

Project homepage

European Commission website on the Timber Regulation

Disclaimer

This project is carried out with the financial support from the European Union. The contents of this page can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.