Finns warn against “unnecessary bureaucracy”

The Finnish Forest Industries Federation (FFIF) has warned against “unnecessary bureaucracy” being created from the EU’s tightening of regulations against illegal logging.

The EU recently released a proposal which would require timber traders to perform due diligence to help prevent the flow of illegal timber into Europe.

Anders Portin, FFIF’s sustainable forestry and infrastructure representative, said the forest industry supported measures which prohibited the use of illegally sourced wood.

“However, it is important to safeguard the functionality of the internal market as well as to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy and overlapping supervision.”

FFIF said measures in the FLEGT Action Plan did not take into account the Finnish forest industry’s established and tested practices for ensuring the legal origins of wood.

It said additional requirements lead to extra costs which weaken the competitiveness of wood products in comparison to alternative goods that are not subject to corresponding demands.