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Support EUTR - Increasing Awareness and Capacity to Support Effective Implementation of the EU Timber Regulation (LIFE)
Start date: Nov 1, 2015, End date: Oct 31, 2017 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Background The EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) prohibits operators in Europe from placing illegally harvested timber products on the market. It requires EU traders who place timber products on the EU market for the first time to undertake "due diligence", a risk management exercise to minimise the risk of marketing illegally harvested timber, or timber products containing illegally harvested timber. However, the interpretation and implementation of the EUTR has not been consistent within the forest-products industry and in different Member States. This is mainly due to the nature of the forest-products industry (mainly SMEs), which often lack the competence and capacity to comply with the EUTR. Also, many competent authorities responsible for implementing the regulation are not aware of the number of operators affected by it. The essence of the EUTR is to fundamentally change the behaviour of the forest-products trade in order to improve governance and forest management in producing countries. For a leverage effect, this regulation needs to be implemented widely (in the EU and globally) and targeted to key stakeholders and actions. Therefore, the involvement and commitment of SMEs and their associations is essential. Objectives The objective of the LIFE - Support EUTR project is to better implement the EU Timber Regulation 995/2010 (EUTR). The specific aim is to facilitate greater and more consistent implementation of due diligence by the timber and timber-related industries. Implementing due diligence should be seen as a business opportunity, because it is important to understand supply chains in order to undertake efficiency improvements. Expected results: Development and dissemination of common interpretation messages for the EUTR to an EU and a global audience; Communication material regularly produced in many languages, focused on what appeals to industries and aiming at promoting an understanding of the ‘good business’ sense of due diligence; Strengthening of the Global Timber Forum (GTF) communication platform, as a central sign-posting website for the forest-products industry on the EUTR, the Lacey Act (a US conservation law prohibiting trade in illegal plants) and other relevant regulations; Creation of a global audience of associations that can spread information on anti-illegal logging legislation throughout their national networks to support efforts in other regions; Information disseminated to over 300 global wood-processing associations, service providers and media contacts within the GTF network; User-friendly guidance and training material developed on due diligence for different SMEs, different product lines and industry personnel, based on existing tools; Legal risk assessments researched and developed for 40 countries exporting timber and wooden products to the EU, thereby 80-90% of all European timber import will be covered by these risk assessments; and Direct engagement with 600-800 SME operators in 12 EU countries through workshops/seminars organised in cooperation with the national competent authorities and timber trade associations.

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