Rapporti verbatim tad-dibattiti

It-Tlieta, 12 ta' Marzu 2019 - Strasburgu

10.2. Ftehim ta' Sħubija Volontarja bejn l-UE u l-Vjetnam dwar l-infurzar tal-liġi, it-tmexxija u l-kummerċ fis-settur forestali (riżoluzzjoni) (A8-0093/2019 - Heidi Hautala)

Oral explanations of vote

  Alex Mayer (S&D). – Madam President, Britain is the EU’s largest importer of tropical timber by a significant margin. I support the voluntary partnership agreement with Vietnam as an important contribution in the fight against illegal logging, with governments, civil society and businesses working together.

Sadly, across the world, up to half of all timber still comes from illegal sources. Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) is a good thing, but the voluntary approach alone is not going to defeat the illegal timber trade. My view is that the UK and the EU need to go further with legislation banning all imports of illegal and destructively logged timber, coupled with more support to improve governance and stamp out corruption in timber producing countries.

Illegal logging robs governments and communities of resources. It damages ecosystems, accelerates climate change and fuels conflict. We cannot afford to rest until the market for illegal timber in Europe is closed forever.