New Australian illegal logging regulation recognizes PEFC
PEFC has been recognized as one way of identifying timber or timber products that are at low risk of being sourced illegally.
New Australian illegal logging regulation recognizes PEFC
12 December 2014 News
By purchasing PEFC-certified timber, Australian timber importers and processors can be sure they are in line with the Illegal Logging Prohibition Amendment Regulation 2013, which came into effect last month.
The new regulation requires businesses importing certain timber or timber products (as defined in the regulation) into Australia and processors of domestically grown raw logs to assess and manage the risk that the timber has been legally logged – known as carrying out due diligence. The regulation also specifies the products for which the due diligence requirements apply, which include furniture, pulp and paper.
PEFC, which has endorsed the Australian Forest Certification Scheme (AFS), is one of the timber legality frameworks that has been recognized as one way of identifying timber or timber products that are at low risk of being sourced illegally.
The regulation follows the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012 which makes it a criminal offence to import illegally logged timber and timber products into Australia or to process domestically grown raw logs that have been illegally logged. This prohibition applies to all imported timber and timber products and all domestically grown logs processed in Australia.
PEFC-certified companies also benefit from the alignment of PEFC Chain of Custody certification with regulatory requirements elsewhere in the world such as the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) requirements.