Government timber procurement in the EU

Jade SaundersAssociate Fellow, Energy, Environment & Development Programme, Chatham House

Oriental Garden Hotel, Beijing26th April 2007

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Presentation structure

• Member State policy status quo

• Legality requirements

• Sustainability requirements

• Solutions:

• Integration with FLEGT

• Switch to certified sources

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Member state policies - status quo

• Policy in implementation phase: Belgians, Danes,

Dutch, French and UK

• Policy under development/discussion: Germany,

Spain, Sweden, Latvia

• Verified legal baseline

• Certified sustainable preferred (2009 UK policy)

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Member state policies - implications

• Central and local Government combined account for

up to 30% of any national market

• Policies cover construction timber, paper and furniture

• Significant knock-on effect within large contractors

• Increasing consumer sensitivity

• ‘Premiums’ of up to 30% for hardwood products

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Legality requirements

Verified element PPP EU FLEGT

Legal harvest rights X X

Compliance with local law on:

Forest management X X

Environmental protection

X X

Labour laws, land tenure

X X

Payment of all relevant taxes and royalties X X

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Sustainability requirements (DK, NL, UK)

PPPs FSC

Legal, policy and institutional framework X X

Forest resource allocation (conversion) X X

Forest management (health and vitality) X X

Forest production levels (AAC) X X

Respect for protected areas X X

Biodiversity X X

Socio-economic considerations Under review

X

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Solutions: FLEGT licensing scheme

• Online by end of decade for first round

• Access to premium EU markets

• Possible options for China:

• Import licensed wood for export production

• Establish VPA with EU

• Establish national system to provide ‘equivalent’ (Category

B) evidence - technical harmonisation?

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Thank you

jsaunders@chathamhousefellows.org.uk

www.illegal-logging.info