Tree for Commissioner Dimas
Support additional legislation to stop illegal timber trade!
Amsterdam and Brussels, November 26, 2007 – To highlight the massive imports of illegal timber into Europe, Milieudefensie/Friends of the Earth Netherlands and Friends of the Earth Flanders & Brussels invited European Commissioner for Environment Stavros Dimas to receive a tree next Wednesday (28th November), before the European Commission's weekly meeting. Illegal logging fuels the global forest crisis, hugely threatening biodiversity and impoverishing forest peoples. The European Commission is currently working on a Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade Action Plan (FLEGT).
The Friends of the Earth groups call upon the Commissioner to support additional environmental legislation that will require all timber and timber products on the EU market come only from legal sources and responsibly managed forests.
'Forests are being torn down at a breathtaking speed of 13 million hectares a year. Half of the timber import into the EU from high risk regions is estimated to be illegal. If we do not react now with strong legislation at a European level, we will see our last ancient forests disappearing.' according to Anne van Schaik, head of campaign at Friends of the Earth Netherlands.
What: Friends of the Earth Netherlands and Friends of the Earth Flanders & Brussels present a tree to Commissioner Stavros Dimas.
When: Wednesday morning 8:45
Where: In front of the Berlaymont building, Rue de la Loi 200 (Wetstraat), Brussel.
Illegal logging and the over-exploitation of forests are leading to biodiversity loss and social conflicts; deepening poverty and fueling climate change - deforestation accounts for 20% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Illegal logging is widespread in many timber producing countries, especially where governance is weak and corruption is rife. In Indonesia estimates of illegal logging vary between 70% and 90% and in regions such as the Amazon, Congo Basin and Russia it has been estimated that almost half of all logging activities is illegal.
The European Union launched the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade Action Plan (FLEGT) in 2003. The Commission has started negotiating Voluntary Partnerships Agreements (VPAs) with the important producer countries Ghana, Malaysia, Indonesia and Cameroon, but VPAs will only address part of the timber trade. Therefore additional measures are needed to stop the massive trade in illegal timber. The Friends of the Earth groups are applying pressure at a crucial phase of the FLEGT process, at which decisions are taking place whether specific legislation is required.
More information
Factsheet illegal logging (PDF)
