Archived press release

EU neglects forests by failing to ban illegal timber

17 October 2008

EU plans to protect the world's forests and stop the trade of illegal timber fall dramatically short of the action that is desperately needed to prevent deforestation and tackle climate change, Friends of the Earth said today.

Trading illegally-logged timber - which constitutes a fifth of EU timber imports and contributes to the loss of 13 million hectares of forests each year - will not be a criminal offence under the planned new laws. Instead, traders will be asked to 'minimise the risk' of illegal timber entering their supply chain.

Illegal logging is linked to civil war and organised crime and is responsible for poverty and human rights abuses among the people who depend on forests for their livelihoods.

Friends of the Earth has welcomed the EU's decision to keep forests out of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and its recognition that upholding forest peoples' rights is key to preventing deforestation.
However, its communication states that investment of 20 billion dollars is needed to halve deforestation - but it commits only a fraction of this amount to fund its plans.

The EU's communication recognises that it is not only timber trade, but also Europe's consumption of products like biofuels and soy for animal feed that causes deforestation though land use change, but it does not introduce measures to reduce demand for 'deforestation products'.

Owen Espley, Friends of the Earth's Forests Campaigner said

"By failing to ban illegal timber outright and not tackling major causes of deforestation like biofuels, the EU is making a mockery of its own attempts to combat climate change."

"The Commission is right not to introduce forest credits into the European Trading Scheme - this would create a forest land grab and would give industry an excuse for failing to reduce their climate-changing emissions. We cannot afford to choose between protecting forests and reducing emissions as we urgently need to do both."

"The EU must clamp down on illegal logging and the other causes of deforestation by strengthening these proposals."

Notes:

1. The EU simultaneously releases its communication on deforestation and draft legislative proposal on the trade of illegal timber on Friday 17th October 2008.
2. One fifth of the world's carbon dioxide emissions are caused by deforestation
3. The European Commission launched the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) action plan in 2003. Despite broad support for strong legislation from the European Parliament, member states and key industry players, the legislative proposal has been delayed repeatedly.
4. Obtaining forest carbon credits would be cheaper for industry than cutting emissions and will therefore undermine essential emissions cuts. Forest carbon trading could trigger a new land grab without regard for the rights of forest peoples.
5. Friends of the Earth is calling on the EU to:
- Strengthen the EU timber law by making trade in illegal timber a punishable offence.
- Continue to keep forests out of carbon markets.
- Scrap targets for biofuels.
- Tackle deforestation from the livestock sector by supporting domestic feed production and reforming subsidies.
- Review its trade strategy to place sustainable development and the environment as a key priority.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust