Importing companies importing wood and wooden products into the EU have been required since 3 March to have a "due diligence system" in place that assures authorities that their imports come from legal sources.

Illegal logging is big business in many parts of the world. UNEP and Interpol, in a recent publication, estimated that illegal logging represents between 10 and 30% of total timber harvesting. In most cases it has a devastating impact on the forests and undermines the rights and livelihoods of the local people.

The new regulation could have a major impact on where the EU sources its timber, and no where more so than the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to a new report by Greenpeace, reported by Mongabay, the DRC's current moratorium on industrial logging is being systematically circumvented making all timber from the country suspect.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has amended its Chain-of-Custody Certification to assist companies that import FSC certified or controlled materials into the EU to comply with the regulation.

FSC general director Kim Carstensen says, "FSC welcomes the EU initiative as an important step towards banning destructive illegal logging practices across the planet. The EU follows the USA and Australia, and hopefully more countries will join the effort.

"Compliance with national laws is the first step toward sustainable forest management, and an essential part of FSC's certification requirements. We hope this new regulation will help producing countries with their enforcement."

The EU Timber Regulation does not accept certification from any private scheme as an alternative to a due diligence system. So even companies that import FSC certified materials must take steps to comply with the law. In the past months, FSC has prepared measures to help companies and to ensure that FSC certification, with its controls at every stage of the supply chain, continues to serve as a reliable risk assessment and risk mitigation tool.

Carstensen says existing legislation in timber producing countries does not guarantee ecologically and socially sound forest management practices, protection of high conservation value Forests, and prohibition of natural forest conversion.

"That is why FSC encourages importers to look for FSC certified materials, not only to comply with the EU Timber Regulation, but also to contribute to mainstream sustainable forest management everywhere in the world."

For more details on the measures FSC has taken, and guidance about how importers can use the FSC system to comply with the EU Timber Regulation, visit www.fsc.org/timber-legality.492.htm. There you will find also the revised Directive on Chain of Custody Certification which is meant to enhance the tools available to importers.