EU, Indonesia deal to curb illegal timber sales
Rubber and Wood | 2011-05-05 05:08:36
A European deal with Indonesia aimed at curbing the trade of illegally harvested wood could have wide-reaching implications
By Paul Ploumis
JAKARTA (Scrap Monster): A European deal with Indonesia aimed at curbing the trade of illegally harvested wood could have wide-reaching implications, an official said.
The European Union and Indonesia agreed to the terms of a law that would mean companies in the EU can't buy wood from Indonesia unless it's certified by the government in Jakarta.
Indonesia sends about $1.2 billion worth of timber and paper products to the European Union each year. About 40 percent of that is harvested illegally.
An unnamed official in the European Commission told the BBC the Jakarta timber deal could have a broad influence on the industry.
"By engaging with Indonesia, by having a good process to look at the legislative framework and identify the gaps, we hope to help them improve the whole situation," the official was quoted as saying of illegal timber sales.
Indonesia is the largest timber exporter and first Asian nation to the back the measure known as the Voluntary Partnership Agreement.
