Timber regulations

On 3rd March 2013, The Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 laid down the obligations of operators who place timber and timber products on the market, also known as the EUTR and hereafter referred to as "The Regulation".

It is a mandatory regulation that all organisations, who trade using wood-based materials (including pulp and paper), must follow. Up until the introduction of The Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 in 2010, there has been no specific legislation in the EU to prohibit the trade in illegal timber or to make organisations take significant steps to assure that the timber they trade originates from legal sources.

The world’s forests perform a number of critical functions both globally and locally. They are fundamental to regulating the earth’s climate, preserving rich sources of biodiversity and providing prosperity for many local communities. Today, many of the world’s natural forests have been lost with the majority of losses occurring over the last 100 years. Although there are a variety of reasons for the continued destruction of natural forests, one of the biggest threats comes from unsustainable forest management practices and illegal logging.