Do you deal in wood?

The EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) came into effect... on Sunday 3 March 2013, in a bid to stop the circulation of illegally logged timber and wood-based products in the European Union, including Ireland. Under the EUTR, placing illegally harvested timber and products derived from such timber on the EU market is prohibited. The Regulation applies to wood and wood products being placed for the first time on the EU market.

Ireland has the largest per-capita consumption of tropical wood in the EU!

Why do we need a new law?

How is illegal logging harmful?

Illegal logging – the harvesting of wood in a way that breaches the laws or regulations of the country of harvest – has severe economic, environmental and social impacts for some of the world's most valuable remaining forests and the communities that rely on them.

1. ECONOMIC - It results in the lost revenues and undermines the efforts of legitimate operators.

2. ENVIRONMENTAL - It is associated with deforestation, climate change and loss of biodiversity.

3. SOCIAL - It is linked to conflicts over land and resources, and the disempowerment of local communities.

Why is it important for the European Union to act?

See Just Forests coordinator being interviewed by Duncan Stewart outside Offaly County Council HQ on their use of West-African iroko (commonly but incorrectly called 'TEAK').

Just Wood Watch

Responsible Sourcing Insights Films

Parliamentary Question No.209:For WRITTEN answer on Thursday, 7th March, 2013.

Ref No: 12106/13
To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way EU Reg 995/2010 (details supplied) will be enforced here; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

- Brendan Griffin. Please see Minister Coveney's REPLY below...

It's time to STOP?

Photo source: The Illegal Logging Portal, hosted and maintained by Chatham House, provides information on illegal logging and the trade in illegal timber. It provides an overview of some of the key issues and developments, and includes a searchable database of documents and news items from around the world.

More photos of tropical wood use in Ireland

Friday 1st March, 2013: Just Forests Press Release
	EUTR Press Release.doc (31.5 KB)
Friday 1st March 2013: FSC is ready for the EU Timber Regulation
	FSC AC_Press Release EUTR_2013-02-28.pdf (266.09 KB)
Sunday 3rd March, 2013: Illegal overseas, now illegal here: levelling the field for the timber industry
	NEPCOM-EUTR.pdf (101.02 KB)
Recent report sheds light on guitar wood trade: An investigation by TRAFFIC of imports into the European Union (EU) of a valuable tropical hardwood widely used in the manufacture of musical instruments, particularly guitars, has helped clarify the rules regarding trade in the valuable commodity.
	Brazilian Rosewood traffic_pub_forestry26.pdf (1.81 MB)
Thursday 7th March 2013: REPLY The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine: (Simon Coveney)
	Tom Roche EU Timber Regulation.docx (16.78 KB)

Public Procurement MATTERS

Tom Roche (trading as) Just Forests Ltd.
Ringfort Workshop, Rathcobican, Rhode, Offaly, Ireland
Phone: +353 (0)86 8049389 | E-mail: info@tomroche.ie