A UK-instigated action plan designed to grow the volume of verified legal hardwood timber traded in Europe has been launched in Brussels.

The Timber Trade Action Plan (TTAP), the industry’s response to the EU‘s Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade Action Plan, is intended to change the way the industry tracks and buys timber products from tropical hardwood-producing nations such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

The UK Timber Trade Federation (TTF), which played a central role in kick-starting the process two years ago, has welcomed the launch and said it would enable importers to access EC funds for their suppliers to be assessed for the production of independently verified legal timber.

TTF corporate social responsibility adviser Andy Roby said: “We want to celebrate this with the trade. It’s a great initiative for the trade and certainly the first time people have seen the trade respond to an issue in such a way.”

The EC is providing €3.5m funding for the project, managed by the Tropical Forest Trust, with the European timber industry investing about €700,000. UK traders will pay about €400,000 over five years in the form of small price premiums.

About 10 mills in Indonesia and Malaysia will be the initial focus of the project. The assessment of a mill and its supply chain has already been completed in Indonesia.

Timber trade federations in Belgium and the Netherlands have also been instrumental in the action plan, which will turn its attentions to Africa next year. A bid for EC funding for a similar project in Latin America will be made in November.