EIA calls for unilateral response to illegal timber
26 July 2007The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has called on the UK government to unilaterally legislate against the sale of illegal timber on its shores.
According to the WWF, the UK imports more than a quarter of the illegal wood coming into the EU, totalling 3.2 million m³ with a value of £700m.
The WWF’s Illegal Logging – Cut It Out report claims that this is having an adverse economic and environmental impact on the wider world, with climate change high on the agenda.
EIA said that the UK government, which has been praised for its efforts to fight illegal logging, can help tackle these issues by adopting a national stance aimed at reducing the amount of illegally sourced timber entering the consumer market in the form of flooring, furniture and other goods.
“Legal analysis already suggests that the UK could legislate against the sale of illegal timber at the national level, without infringing on EU competence on trade matters,” states EIA.
“The UK government has an opportunity to maintain its global leadership on this issue by unilaterally legislating against the sale of illegal timber in its domestic market.”
An Early Day Motion on illegal logging, calling on the government to support EU-wide legislation, has already been backed by more than 360 MPs, including long-standng Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes, Labour MP Dave Anderson and shadow foreign office minister David Lidington.
