ILLEGAL logging in Indonesia - home to 10 per cent of the world's
remaining tropical forest - is flourishing to meet European demand for hardwood
furniture, despite an EU action plan to combat the trade, Euro-MP Jean Lambert
has warned.
"More than 80 per cent of logging in Indonesia is carried
out illegally - and much of the wood is destined for furniture here in the UK,"
said the
London MEP.
The EU acknowledged the problem earlier this year and launched
an action plan based on international collaboration and provides funding to
Indonesia
to help stamp out trade, but it remains perfectly legal for illegally logged
timber to be imported to the EU via as third country.
"The EU is simply not taking this seriously enough. Poached
Ramin, for example, is being laundered through Malaysia - the only other country
in
which Ramin grows - and is continuing to reach Europe, as shown by recent seizures
in the UK and Italy," Mrs Lambert added,
"Europe is a 'soft touch' on illegal logging, and will remain
so until we make it clearly illegal to import unlawfully logged timber - whatever
its
source - and impose stricter penalties on those who currently flout the law
with near-impunity."
Mrs Lambert has written to the European Commission demanding an
explanation for its failure to outlaw the import of illegally logged timber
and the weak
implementation of its Action Plan.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
The European Commission launched its 'Action Plan for Forest Law
Enforcement, Governance and Trade' in May 2003
Copies of Mrs Lambert's letter to the European Commission are available from
Ben Duncan