Written question asked by Alan Meale (Labour) on Monday, 7 February 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 9 February 2011. It was answered by James Paice (Conservative) on Tuesday, 15 February 2011 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Wood: Imports

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to change the objectives of EU timber regulations to make it an offence to sell illegally-felled timber in the UK.

Answer: The EU Illegal Timber Regulation was adopted in October 2010, and will enter into force on 3 March 2013. We are now focusing on robust and proportionate implementation and enforcement of the Regulation, including the prohibition on placing illegally harvested timber and timber products onto the EU market. I am confident that this will mean that illegal timber is unavailable for sale or purchase down the supply chain, thereby eliminating illegally harvested timber and timber products from the UK market.

Secondary information