Copenhagen (17 March 2017) - Are you obliged by the EU Timber Regulation to set up a due diligence system to minimise the risk that you are placing timber on the market that has been harvested, traded or transported illegally? And would you like some free expert help on how best to map your supply chain, assess your risks and mitigate those risks?
NEPCon [1] is working on a project to support the legal timber trade in the EU. As part of this project, we have created a set of tools and guidance to help companies conduct due diligence. We have funding to help up to eight companies with their due diligence systems [3]. This could mean:
- helping you to set up your due diligence system from scratch.
- helping you to fill gaps in your due diligence system.
- helping you to work with one or two tricky supply chains.
If you are picked to take part in this programme [3], we will sign a confidentiality agreement with you so that any sensitive information you have will remain confidential.
To take part, you must:
- be obliged to set up a timber legality due diligence system under the EU Timber Regulation. If you place timber or most timber products on the EU market for the first time, this applies to you.
- be located in Demark, Germany, Latvia or Romania.
- be willing to provide us with feedback on the tools and guidance we provide you with, to help us improve them.
- be willing to take part in interviews about conducting due diligence, using the tools we provide you with, and your experience working with us. We would ensure you were happy with the content of any articles or videos before publishing.
- Not be an FSC, PEFC, SBP or SAN client of NEPCon.
We will be holding free training sessions in the autumn on the EU Timber Regulation in the following countries: Belgium, Demark, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain. Register your interest in these sessions at http://www.nepcon.org/eutr-registration-form.
The project ‘Supporting legal timber trade’ is funded by the European Commission’s LIFE programme [4] and the UK’s Department for International Development [5].
For further information or to volunteer for the programme, please contact:
• Ann Weddle, project manager, [email protected] +44 7491 812337 (UK) by 10 April 2017.
Notes to the Editor
[1] NEPCon (Nature Economy and People Connected) is an international non-profit organisation that works to build capacity and commitment for mainstreaming sustainability. For over 20 years, we have worked to foster sustainable land use and responsible trade in forest commodities. We have created our own set of requirements for setting up a due diligence system to manage the risks of harvesting or sourcing illegal timber and make this system free to all. We are recognised by the EU as an EUTR monitoring organisation – in other words, as an organisation that can provide companies with due diligence systems.
[2] Get more information about our work with companies for the Supporting Legal Timber Trade project here [in English].
[3] We encourage all companies that meet the criteria above to apply. However, we will give preferenace to companies that are not NEPCon clients, to companies that import from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Honduras, Congo, DRC, Guyana, CAR, Liberia, Thailand, China or Russia, and we will seek to get a balance of big and small companies.
[4] The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
[5] This material has been funded by UK aid from the UK government; however the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.
