Government timber procurement in the EU
Jade SaundersAssociate Fellow, Energy, Environment & Development Programme, Chatham House
Oriental Garden Hotel, Beijing26th April 2007
2
Presentation structure
• Member State policy status quo
• Legality requirements
• Sustainability requirements
• Solutions:
• Integration with FLEGT
• Switch to certified sources
3
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)
4
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
5
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
6
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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