Press Release: Environment: Commission unveils package to tackle illegal logging and deforestation

On 17 October, 2008, the European Commission unveiled two important initiatives to protect forests globally. The package comprised a legislative proposal to reduce the risk of illegal timber and timber products entering the EU market and a Communication setting out the Commission's proposals for tackling tropical deforestation. Illegal logging and deforestation have serious environmental implications, contributing to climate change and the loss of biodiversity, as well as threatening the livelihood of indigenous people. Illegal logging is also a symptom of wider problems, including a lack of forest governance, and weak law enforcement. In the context of the international negotiations on the post-2012 climate change agreement, the Commission proposed to pursue the objective of halting global forest cover loss by 2030 at the latest and reducing gross tropical deforestation by at least 50% by 2020.

European Commission: MEMO/08/633: Questions and Answers on the Proposed Regulation laying down the obligations of operators who place timber and timber products on the EU market http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/633&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: MEMO/08/632: Questions and answers on deforestation and forest degradation http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/632&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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