Illegal timber and deforestation: Commission proposals won't root out illegal timber trade
Following the European Commission's announcement today on measures to combat illegal logging and its Communication on deforestation, Green MEP Caroline Lucas commented:
"I welcome the fact that there is now a working proposal on the table to address the challenges of illegal logging and deforestation, although it is disappointing that this is the best the Commission could come up with after years of stalling.
"The proposal to tackle the illegal timber trade is far weaker than the Greens would have liked. It will be a huge challenge to improve it and pass legislation before the European elections next year.
"It's estimated that around a fifth of all wood imports to the EU come from potentially illegal sources. And that's at a time when deforestation is occurring so fast that it's responsible for 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and all tropical forests of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea may be gone by 2015.
"We should be glad that the long-awaited proposals are finally here after months of industry lobbying and internal Commission wrangling; but, as so far presented, they look toothless and inadequate to stop the influx of illegallylogged timber into the EU.
"Far from setting the bar for what constitutes sustainable forest management, and proactively enshrining the principles of international law, the Commission weakly defines 'legality' as whatever passes as legal in the country of origin - however environmentally and socially destructive the endorsed practices may be.
"On the plus side, at least the Commission's positioning on the use of forest or 'sink' credits in emissions trading shows more clarity of thought. Its Communication on Deforestation recognises that while methods must be found to reduce deforestation and forest degradation, sink credits risk flooding the carbon market and give rise to serious concerns over their permanence, verification, quantification and liability.
"The forest fund proposed by the Commission is along the right lines, although the sums and spending plans set out are inadequate. It will be vital to back and strengthen this idea in the run-up to the international negotiations for the next global climate agreement, with adequate efforts by developed countries to address and finance the avoidance of deforestation set to be a deciding factor in obtaining such a deal."
"The measures announced today represent a step in the right direction in combating the illegal logging trade and deforestation, but fall short as regards the long-overdue concrete legislation the Greens were looking forward to finally having. Nevertheless, we will work with this proposal and do our utmost to toughen its terms before the European elections in June 2009."
