'UK second largest importer of illegal timber'

[XemaSab]

Almost one-fifth of wood imported into the EU in 2006 came from illegal sources, according to a recent report, and the UK is the second largest importer. The UK imported 3.5 million cubic metres of illegal wood, which included the biggest quantities of furniture, finished wood products, sawnwood and plywood of all EU states. Only Finland brought in more illegal timber.

In 2006, the EU imported between 26.5 and 31 million cubic metres of illegal wood and related products, equal to the total amount of wood harvested in Poland in the same year. Most of Europe's illegal timber comes from Russia, Indonesia and China.

"Illegal logging reduces the protective function of forests which frequently increases the risk of natural disasters such as floods and landslides and leads to deforestation, one of the main causes for climate change. Illegal logging also pushes down wood prices leading to major economic losses for the producer states, industries and local communities," said Julia Young, manager of the Forest and Trade Network* at WWF-UK, who commissioned the report.

"As the UK clearly plays a major role in fuelling this illegal trade, the government needs to ensure the EU urgently introduces legislation to prevent illegal timber entering the EU and thereby help protect the world's last remaining forests," she continued.

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