Illegal logging and related large scale deforestation, mainly in tropical countries, has been a global problem for many years and has resulted in extensive environmental, social and economic impacts. In reaction to this problem, consumers in Europe and North America have for many years now required forestry companies to demonstrate that their forestry products are from legal origin, to show their commitment towards sustainable development, environmental and social issues, and thus improve the reputation of their organisation. Since the 1990s, international leaders in the timber industry in partnership with global NGOs and other relevant stakeholders have been very active in promoting voluntary certification to ensure that appropriate performance standards are maintained throughout the timber supply chain and to minimize potential reputational risks in the market place.
Today, requirements regarding the responsible management and legal origin of forest, timber and wood products are becoming stricter with new legal requirements being introduced in market places in Europe, the USA and Australia. Any forestry or timber company that cannot align its practices with these new legal requirements will effectively be driven away from the EU, USA and Australian market places, with no hope of acceding to these markets, and most certainly in other foreign markets in the future. Penalties for breach of these new legal requirements that are currently being considered in the EU, USA and Australia are significant.
Even in local markets the situation is likely to become increasingly regulated in the coming years, as a number of countries are currently reviewing their own internal legal requirements and monitoring procedures, through a process which is generally driven by the implementation of the EU FLEGT Action Plan and the negotiation of Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPA) between the EU and a number of countries in the Congo Basin and South East Asia. Other countries, such as Brazil, are implementing, on their own accord and independently of any international agreement, strict internal measures and developing monitoring tools to control deforestation and illegal activities based on the latest technology. This new global trend cannot be ignored by the forest and timber industries as it will have a global as well as local impact. Through the implementation of these new legal requirements, the USA, EU and Australia will undeniably have a significant impact on the forest and timber industries globally.
Benefits
During this half day World Center for Certification & Quality Information Seminar, participants will be presented with detailed information on the new legal requirements in the EU, USA and Australia regarding timber legality and will be presented with World Center for Certification & Quality Trade & Track Solution. World Center for Certification & Quality Solution is a comprehensive tool that has been designed to provide the forestry and timber industries with integrated traceability platform and efficient and cost effective procedures that have been developed to fully comply with the EUTR requirements. Furthermore, World Center for Certification & Quality Solution can also be used as an effective tool to ensure full compliance with the due diligence requirements already enforced in the USA and to come in Australia. Participants will gain detailed insight on World Center for Certification & Quality Trade & Track Solution and will be presented with some practical examples of the procedures and traceability platform developed by World Center for Certification & Quality.
By the end of this Seminar participants will achieve a thorough understanding of the different legal requirements regarding timber and timber products legality, and the benefits of World Center for Certification & Quality Trade & Track Solution that has been developed to provide companies in the forest and timber industries with cost effective tools to demonstrate the legal origin of their forest product
