This Regulation lays down the obligations of operators who place timber and timber products on the internal market for the first time, as well as the obligations of traders. The aim is to support the fight against illegal logging and related trade actively, to complement and strengthen the FLEGT Voluntary Partnership Agreement initiative and to improve synergies between policies in view of the conservation of forests and the achievement of a high level of environmental protection, including combating climate change and biodiversity loss.
As a general rule, the placing on the market of illegally harvested timber or timber products derived from such timber shall be prohibited. Operators shall exercise due diligence when placing timber or timber products on the market. To that end, they shall use the due diligence system , a framework of procedures and measures set out in article 6. This system includes risk assessment procedures enabling the operator to analyse and evaluate the risk of illegally harvested timber or timber products derived from such timber being placed on the market.
The Regulation establishes the obligation of traceability: traders shall, throughout the supply chain, be able to identify (i) the operators or the traders who have supplied the timber and timber products; and (ii) the traders to whom they have supplied timber and timber products, if applicable.
For the implementation of these provisions, the Commission shall be assisted by the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Committee established under article 11 of Regulation (EC) No. 2173/2005.