International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA) 2006
25.6.2008
ORAL QUESTION WITH DEBATE O-0074/08
pursuant to Rule 108 of the Rules of Procedure
by Helmuth Markov, on behalf of the Committee on International Trade
to the Commission
The Council consulted Parliament on the proposal for a Council decision (11964/07) on the conclusion of ITTA 2006 on the basis of Article 300(3), first subparagraph, of the EC Treaty. On 28 January 2008 the President of Parliament wrote to the Council to request that Parliament be consulted on the basis of the assent procedure, as the agreement establishes ‘a specific institutional framework’. Aside from this procedural issue, there is growing concern about the impact of deforestation and forest degradation and the consequences for climate change and biodiversity. As part of a more general approach, also covering temperate forests, demand for fair and sustainable timber products and traceability all along the supply chain, an effective ITTA could make a significant contribution to protecting the world’s forests and ensuring the sustainable use of timber.
In this context, could the Commission:
- In the light of the fact that overexploitation and illegal logging remain widespread, provide its assessment of the effectiveness of 20 years of tropical timber agreements?
- Explain how it envisages ITTA interacting with other agreements, such as the Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biodiversity, and with initiatives taken under the EU’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) action plan?
- Set out how it intends to ensure that environmental protection requirements are integrated into trade agreements, in line with Treaty obligations, and, in particular, that the current negotiations with the countries of south-east Asia will include measures to protect forests?
- Indicate whether it is willing to submit annual reports to Parliament and the Council on the implementation of ITTA and the impact of trade on tropical forests, including with regard to bilateral agreements concluded under the FLEGT programme?
Tabled: 25.06.2008
Forwarded: 27.06.2008
Deadline for reply: 04.07.2008