Written question asked by Mark Simmonds (Conservative) on Tuesday, 29 November 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 1 December 2005. It was answered by Elliot Morley (Labour) on Thursday, 1 December 2005 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Timber

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to reduce the amount of illegal timber entering the United Kingdom.

Answer: The UK is taking a range of steps to reduce the amount of illegal timber entering the United Kingdom.The European Commission published its Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan in May 2003. This describes a package of measures to tackle illegal logging, including proposals that the EU enters into partnership agreements with timber producing countries to establish a licensing system designed to identify products and license them for export to the EU.The UK is delighted that the proposal for a licensing system received political agreement at the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 24 October 2005, under the UK's Presidency of the European Union. This will be adopted in December 2005. The UK, with other EU partners, is already discussing possible agreements with timber producing countries, including Ghana and Malaysia. It is hoped that these agreements will be finalised soon. This will mean that the amount of illegal timber entering the United Kingdom from these countries will reduce.The FLEGT Action Plan also proposes that the Commission look at other options to tackle illegal logging, including using Government procurement and introducing legislation to prevent the importation of illegally logged timber at a member state or EU level. Government awaits the European Commission's report, which will allow us to take this work forward, including the options for action at the UK level.

Secondary information