Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-07-06-Speech-3-450"
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"en.20050706.33.3-450"2
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".
Mr President, Commissioner, I have noted your answer, but am compelled to express my disappointment at the slow progress of the process of implementing the Forest Law Enforcement, Government and Trade (FLEGT) Plan. Wood logged illegally in various parts of the world, such as tropical wood from the Amazon Region and Africa, is known to be traded here in the EU.
This sometimes leads to serious civil unrest and even, as previously mentioned, to people being killed. I was in Brazil recently and had the opportunity to talk with various Brazilian social organisations. They are extremely concerned at this state of affairs, and indeed the government and other authorities have expressed similar concerns. I therefore feel that measures must be taken as soon as possible to put a stop to this phenomenon.
This whole process has far-reaching consequences, both for the countries illegally exporting this wood and for our own countries. Consequently, dozens of EU businesses have drawn up a document calling for measures to prevent the continued import of illegally logged tropical wood. This practice must be stopped.
The effects are not only social but also environmental. We are playing a part in jeopardising the survival of key forests and biodiversity; we are having a direct influence on the climatic conditions, the people and the employment situation in both the producing countries and the importing countries; and, in so doing, we are damaging the businesses that act legally and destabilising international wood markets.
The broad goal for the regional or inter-regional bilateral agreements set out in the EU’s action plan on forest law enforcement, governance and trade, which the Commission tabled in 2003, was to contribute towards sustainable development. It is therefore impossible to understand why progress has been so slow in implementing the various undertakings under this plan. I cannot understand, for example, why a planned study into legislative options, which was to have been presented by the middle of 2004, has not been carried out; why detailed measures intended to ban imports of illegal wood and wood products, regardless of the country of origin, have been shelved; and why a network has not been set up between customs and administrative and legal authorities to facilitate the exchange of information on the illegal wood trade.
It is therefore crucial that the Commission table a detailed legislative proposal – and it says that it is drawing up such a proposal – that provides more information and that alters the legal basis of the regulation. Parliament can then discuss this proposal and make a positive contribution to this whole process. The political will must be there if we are to put a stop to this illegal trade, which facilitates corruption and money laundering. Urgent action must be taken."@en1
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