An investigative report from Greenpeace released recently found that a logger accused of killing nine people in Brazil in April 2017, has continued to export timber to several countries in Europe, North America and Japan.
The report links 12 global firms to the logger in question. Greenpeace stresses that operators placing timber on the EU market should be able to prove that their product is legal and sustainable and be able to ensure that harvesting has respected third parties’ legal rights concerning forest use and tenure.
In the report, Greenpeace also calls on the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) competent authorities to better ensure that operators within their jurisdictions comply with the EUTR, including having due diligence systems in place that go beyond official documentation from timber sourced in the Amazon. It also notes that the import of such timber could be in contravention with the US Lacey Act, that bans trafficking of wildlife including timber.
The report also comes as the European Court of Justice ruled on 20 November to fine Poland 100,000€ per day of non-compliance for allowing logging in the protected and UNESCO World heritage Bialoweza forest.
A few governments have reacted to the report, with the Belgian Minister of Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development, Marie Christine Marghem, notably mentioning that additional resources have been allocated to the unit dealing with imports of timber in recent months. Companies operating in Belgium can therefore expect increased inspections from the competent authority.
