"Europe needs to remove this [illegally logged] wood from the market to ensure a level playing field for legal traders and the survival of the world's forests," said WWF European forestry policy officer Beatrix Richards.

The environmental organisations drew up the model legislation in response to the European Commission's action plan to combat illegal logging and its related trade (FLEGT). The first measures of which were discussed by EU agriculture ministers earlier this week (21 December).

The draft regulation is supported by 150 social and environmental NGOs. "To take swift action to stop the ongoing tragedy of forest destruction," said Greenpeace European unit forests policy adviser Sbastien Risso.

The draft identifies illegal logging and its related trade as an environmental crime, it also allows for sanctions in the event of the abuse documents, such as no import notification, false declarations and forgeries.

It also asks that sustainability criteria also be developed, in co-operation with timber producing countries, and gradually introduced as law in those countries.

The EU's FLEGT proposal was first presented in July 2004. Its aims are to implement a credible chain of custody for all timber imports from those countries that choose to sign a agreements with the EU.

Story by Darryl Danielli