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EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) & Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT)
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
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In June 2023 the EU published Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 31 May 2023, on the making available on the European Union Single Market and the export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation, now commonly known as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
The main aims of this regulation are threefold:
• To ensure that the listed products bought, used and consumed by Europeans do not contribute to deforestation and forest degradation within the EU and globally.
• To reduce carbon emissions caused by EU consumption and production of the relevant commodities covered by the regulation.
• To address the deforestation and forest degradation that is driven by the agricultural expansion, which produces the commodities covered by the scope of the regulations.
There are seven relevant commodities – cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy and wood and some of their derived products such as leather, chocolate, tyres and printed paper. A full list of the relevant EU customs codes and individual product descriptions can be found in the Annex to the Regulation. The regulation applies to relevant products that are produced domestically in Ireland as well as imports into and exports out of Ireland.
Under Article 14 (1) of the regulation, Member States must designate one or more competent authorities responsible for fulfilling the obligations of the EU Deforestation Regulation.
On 29th December 2023 the European Commission was informed that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will be the designated competent authority for the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation in Ireland.
The new regulation, which replaces the EU Timber Regulations (No. 995/2010) will enter into application on 30th December 2024 and will set mandatory obligations for operators and traders to ensure inter alia that:
1. relevant products are deforestation free (produced on land not subject to deforestation after 31st December 2020) and have not contributed to forest degradation,
2. have been produced in accordance with the relevant legislation of the country of production and,
3. are covered by a due diligence statement.
The implications of this timeline are that operators and traders now have a 12-month preparation period in which to ensure they can comply with the requirements of the regulation.
To help supply chain actors with this preparation, the European Commission has published a set of frequently asked questions, which can be accessed here .
Briefing Note on the EU Timber Regulation and on sourcing of deforestation-free commodities October 2021 – April 2022
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EUTR Expert group Summary - The current situation relating to the import of timber and timber products originating from Belarus and Russia - April 2022
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Requirements for the Import of Timber and/or Timber Products covered by the EU Timber Regulation to and from Ireland and the UK post-Brexit
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Information Event on the EU Timber Regulation - 27 June 2019
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EUTR Annual Report 2022
EUTR Annual Report 2021
EUTR Annual Report 2020
EUTR Annual Report 2019
From 1st July 2024 FLEGT licences will have to be claimed by the importer or agent. In order to do this you will first have to be registered on TRACES as a FLEGT user.
For more information on TRACES and how to register please follow the link - gov - TRACES (www.gov.ie)
For more information on the procedure of filling out and claiming a FLEGT licence please follow this link official to the European Commission’s website - FLEGT (europa.eu)
- FLEGT: Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade
- EUTR: European Union Timber Regulation
- EC: European Commission
- VPA: Voluntary Partnership Agreement
- CA: Competent Authority
- FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization (of the United Nations)
- UNEP-WCMC: United Nations Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre
EU Timber Regulation (EUTR)
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Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Johnstown Castle Estate, Co. Wexford
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Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT)
Address:
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Johnstown Castle Estate, Co. Wexford
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Phone number: