How to support the implementation of due diligence systems through the EU Rural Development Programme: problems and potentials

Abstract

The EU Timber Regulation is a new piece of legislation approved by the European Parliament and the European Council in October 2010 and expected to enter into force in March 2013. It lays down the obligations for operators placing timber and timber products on the European Union market, with the aim to stop the sale of timber logged illegally in the country of origin. In order to respect the Regulation, operators must implement a system of “due diligence” to ascertain the timber they sell was harvestedlegally. As an alternative, they may decide to work under the assistance and control of a Monitoring Organization. The paper discusses the opportunities and challenges the Regulation might bear for the EU forestry sector, with special attention to the role that the Rural Development Policy for the programming period 2007-2013 can play in supporting internal operators. The impacts of the Regulation will depend from the contents of the secondary legislations that will be approved by the EU, as well as from the support measures that will be activated by the Rural Development Policy. In implementing the Regulation theexperience gained by the Lacely Act in US should be taken into consideration in order to find a decent compromise between the need to reduce illegality in the forestry sector and to keep fair and balance conditions of competitiveness in the wood market.