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European Union Timber Regulation

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The European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR) came into force on 3rd March 2013, designed to combat the trading and harvesting of illegal timber.

It prohibits the placing of timber on the EU market if it was illegally harvested. Any company placing timber or timber products onto the EU market for the first time (classed as an operator) must implement a due diligence system to assess their suppliers and minimise the risk that the timber was illegally harvested. Companies purchasing and selling timber which has already been placed on the market (classed as a trader) must keep records of what they have purchased, from where and who it was sold to (if possible) for a period of 5 years.

Metsä Wood UK are a signatory of the Timber Trade Federation Responsible Purchasing Policy (RPP), which means that Metsä Wood already use a recognised due diligence tool which analyses the risk of illegal timber entering the supply chain. This already robust system has been reviewed and further re-enforced to ensure we perform over and above requirements.

It’s important that we all buy from responsible and sustainable sources and EUTR will enable us all to achieve this with confidence.


KEY FACTS

  • The EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) came into force on 3rd March 2013
  • Designed to combat the trading and harvesting of illegal timber
  • First hand importers of timber sourced from outside the EU will have a legal obligation to implement and execute a robust ‘due diligence’ process
  • Timber supplied with Chain of Custody certification does not guarantee outright compliance of the EUTR BUT can be taken into account as part of the ‘due diligence’ process

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND ADVICE PLEASE CALL 0800 00 44 44

You can also find more information on the Timber Trade Federation website.

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