EU Timber Regulation guidance document launched to cover due diligence systems

A free guidance standard to help businesses comply with the EU Timber Regulation has been produced ahead of the regulation coming into effect early next year.

The standard, PAS 2021:2012 – Exercising due diligence in establishing the legal origin of timber and timber products – Guide to Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 is applicable to all organizations that trade in imported and domestically produced timber and timber products on the EU market. BSI and WWF-UK Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN) launched the document to support industry efforts in the responsible sourcing of forest goods and sustainable forest management.

The EU Timber regulation will come into force on 3rd March 2013 and will affect most BWF members. It prohibits the placing on the EU market for the first time of illegally harvested timber products and requires those who place timber products on the EU market for the first time to exercise “due diligence”.

Once on the market, the timber and timber products may be sold on and/or transformed before they reach the final consumer, but supply chain has an obligation to keep records of their suppliers and customers.

The new guidance includes information on how to develop and implement a due diligence system to minimise the  risk of illegal timber in the supply chain, and notes good practices for responsible trade in timber and timber products, including communicating due diligence to interested parties.

It sits between the formalised due diligence systems of the FSC, and introductory guides, such as the BWF’s Easy Guide to the EUTR, which answers many of the FAQs on the Regulation, including:

‘What products does the regulation cover?’
‘What do I have to do to comply with the regulation?’
‘What are the penalties?’
‘Will achieving Chain of Custody certification help me comply with the regulation?

BWF has been involved in the consultation stages of the PAS 2021:2012, gathering views and comments from members to submit, and is part of the Steering Group responsible for developing the guidance within the document. We will continue to provide advice on the regulation through our news alerts, over the helpline and in documents such as our guide. We will also work closely with leading industry groups such as the Timber Trade Federation in order to provide clear guidance for the joinery sector

Follow this link to download PAS 2021 for free:
https://shop.bsigroup.com/Navigate-by/PAS/PAS-2021/

BWF members can download our ’Easy Guide to the EUTR’ from our publications library
https://www.bwf.org.uk/publications/general-business-support