EU introduces import controls on illegal timber

The comparisons with the no-questions-asked market in dugup antiquities which is depleting the historical record is noteworthy:

Interpol estimates that up to 30% of timber in the global market, worth in excess of 15bn euros ($20bn/£13bn) each year, comes from illegal logging.  Illegal logging is defined as the harvesting of wood that breaches the laws or regulations of the country of origin. It has "severe economic, environmental and social impacts for some of the world's most valuable remaining forests and the billions of people that rely on them". In 2012, Interpol and the UN launched Project Leaf, an initiative to combat illegal logging and organised forest crime, in February, Interpol said almost 200 people had been arrested in a wide-ranging international anti-illegal logging operation.. The EU accounts for 35% of the world's primary timber consumption, and so:

Measures to prevent illegally harvested timber from entering the European Union come into force on Sunday. The EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) requires importers or sellers of timber and wood products to keep records of the sources of their supplies [...]. The law, which was adopted by the European Parliament and Council back in October 2010, is only just coming into force because of the measures member states and private companies had to put in place.  Operators, which refers to "those who first place a timber product on the EU market" - through a "due diligence" system - are required to "make every effort to ensure that the wood they trade in is legal". The due diligence system (DDS) comprises of three elements, including access to information relating to shipments' country of origin, quantity and suppliers' details; evaluation that the timber was produced in compliance with the laws of the country of origin; taking additional steps to ensure the legality of the timber if there is any doubt over its provenance. In addition, the EUTR requires traders ("those who sell or buy the timber already on the EU market") to keep "adequate information so that the wood they deal in can be easily traced". [...] the new law covers a wide range of products, from paper and pulp to solid wood and flooring, and forms a part of ongoing efforts to help tackle the global problem of illegal logging. 

Much of the illegally traded timber comes from central Africa and South-East Asia, with a significant proportion being processed in China and Hong Hong before being shipped to EU nations, particularly the UK. For decades, consumer countries have been driving the demand for cheap, illegal timber that breeds corruption and criminality in forested countries while taking a devastating toll on the environment.

Senior campaigner at Global Witness Alexandra Pardal said [...] "Almost all timber from tropical rainforests carries a high risk of such illegality and should be checked out thoroughly - if there's any suspicion at all, don't touch it." 

Although this legislation gives us a real chance to tackle the negative impact that the indiscriminate trade in timber and wood products has had on forests globally, the legislation does not cover forest management systems. The World Wildlife Fund notes:

"Even though a wood product may be legal, it does not mean that it has been produced without destroying valuable forest ecosystems, [...] implementing green public procurement policy to ensure the purchase of sustainable timber and products in public supply contracts across the member states will remain essential." 

How about antiquity dealers applying a transparent green (sustainable) procurement policy for the items they trade which comes from the archaeological record, part of the historical environment?

Mark Kinver, 'EU introduces illegal timber import controls', BBC News 2 March 2013