EU Timber Regulation now in force

The EU Timber Regulation came into force on Sunday March 3rd, and joinery manufacturers will need to be prepared for the new legislation or risk paying the penalty.

The Regulation prohibits the placing of illegally harvested timber on the EU market and lays out the procedures which those trading timber within the EU must put in place to minimise the risk of illegal timber being sold. It is the first piece of legislation in the EU to prohibit the trade in illegally harvested timber, and should be the final nail in the coffin of illegal timber in the EU.

BWF members are urged to familiarise themselves with the new rules. Many joinery manufacturers will find it easy to comply with the EU Timber Regulation because their roles in each of their timber or timber product transactions will generally be defined under the regulation as that of a ‘trader’. The requirements for traders concern traceability.

BWF members who are the first to place a timber product on the EU market will have their role in the transaction defined under the regulations as an ‘operator’. Complying with the EU Timber Regulation will be more complex in this instance.

This is why we have launched a template due diligence system that members who will be first to place wood based products on the EU market (operators) can use before buying their products, in order to help them comply with the regulation.

Members defined as ‘traders’ may find it worthwhile to adopt the template Timber Purchasing Policy (Appendix I) as a declaration to display to clients and to assist with their environmental obligations under the BWF Code of Conduct.

The documentation comes in 6 parts
The BWF Template Due Diligence System Guidance
Company Timber Policy
Declaration of EUTR conformity
Product Origin Information
Product Risk Assessment
Annual Submission Report

It can be downloaded here: www.bwf.org.uk/publications/environmental-and-waste-management

The BWF has written 'AN EASY GUIDE TO THE EUTR', which members can download for free from the website.
www.bwf.org.uk/publications/general-business-support

We have a 14 minute audio presentation and slideshow explaining the EU timber regulation and answering some common FAQs, such as what the penalties for non-conformance could be.
www.bwf.org.uk/-the-eutr-and-chain-of-custody

You can also find out more at the BWF Woodworking Conference 2013 (Members’ Day) where the Enforcement Project Manager of the NMO will be holding a presentation (Workshops B and N) covering the EU Timber Regulation and how the enforcement of the regulation is likely to work. Each BWF member receives one free ticket to the event if they register in advance. You can book your place here: www.bwf.org.uk/news/events/bwf-woodworking-conference-2013