Implementation of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR)
21.12.2011
Question for written answer E-012644/2011
to the Commission
Rule 117
Dan Jørgensen (S&D)
Concerns have been raised about the implementation of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which is due to be implemented from 3 March 2013. There are concerns that the implementation of the EUTR will be weak, and that enforcement will not be equal in all Member States.
One of the big issues is China. China is one of the largest exporters of timber products to the EU, but it imports almost all its raw materials for this production, and because the timber industry in China is fragmented and primitive, with long and complex supply chains, it will prove very difficult for China to comply with the EUTR. It is not unlikely that, depending on the enforcement of the EUTR, wood products from China will in reality be excluded from the EU market place.
This is of course worrying, because one may doubt whether the EU is prepared to exclude all Chinese timber products from the EU, or if the EU is prepared to weaken the enforcement of the EUTR in order to allow continued access for Chinese timber products to the EU.
The EUTR could potentially represent a great step towards eliminating illegal timber, and some in the timber sector are investing a lot in meeting the EUTR requirements in order to be ready for 3 March 2013. Unfortunately, however, this may not be true of the entire sector, resulting in an uneven playing field depending on the enforcement of the EUTR.
The concerns can be summarised in the following questions:
- 1.How will the Commission ensure that all operators in the timber industry are aware of the EUTR and its impact on trade?
- 2.How will the Commission ensure uniform implementation in all Member States?
- 3.Is the EU prepared to enforce the EUTR even if this means banning almost all imports of wood products from a country such as China?
- 4.If the industry claims not to be ready for 3 March 2013, will implementation of the EUTR then be postponed, as happened in the case of CE marking of timber products?
OJ C 192 E, 03/07/2013