Illegal logging and associated trade is a global issue of major concern. It threatens forests and biodiversity, and undermines sustainable forest management and development.

The EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which came into force in 2013, aims to reduce the devastating effects of illegal timber trade. It prohibits illegally harvested timber, or products derived from such timber, from being placed on the market in the EU. Traders that place timber or timber products on the EU market for the first time have to implement the EUTR by exercising due diligence; this means they must minimise the risk that timber was illegally harvested or that timber products contain such timber.

Member States' authorities are tasked with enforcing the implementation of the EUTR nationally, and with assisting the Commission to achieve uniform implementation across the EU. To achieve this, authorities need access to relevant and accurate information, such as on timber source countries, national legal frameworks and EUTR enforcement or trade patterns. However, this information can be difficult to access and national capacity to carry out assessments is often insufficient.

UNEP-WCMC works closely with the European Commission and EU Member States' Competent Authorities to support the assessment of the implementation and enforcement of the EUTR. We also assist national authorities by providing well-researched syntheses of relevant information and access to key data, to help inform their implementation of the Regulation. 

This includes:

• Assisting the Commission in analysing national reports on EUTR that are produced by EU Member States and European Free Trade Association countries, and national reports on the FLEGT licensing scheme
• Bi-monthly briefing notes which provide a summary of recent developments relevant to EUTR, enabling the Competent Authorities and the wider public to be kept up to date on key topics and activities
• Country overviews that hold information on source countries relevant for the implementation of EUTR, such as forest status, timber trade statistics, risks of illegality and relevant national legislation 
• Biannual analyses of EUTR compliance checks performed and penalties imposed by EU Member States and European Free Trade Association countries, to enforce the implementation of EUTR
• Analyses in a number of aspects relating to EUTR and FLEGT, including timber trade into and within the EU, EUTR and FLEGT implementing legislation in Member States, as well as a variety of topics of emerging concern or relevance.

Our team combines scientific and technical expertise in the fields of timber trade analysis, working with businesses, international biodiversity trade related legislation, information synthesis and national report analysis to support the implementation of international agreements and regulations, including EUTR and FLEGT. This work is supported by the European Commission.