In advance of the introduction of the EU Timber Regulation (EU TR) in March 2013, PEFC UK hosted a stakeholder event under the theme of risk mitigation in the prcurement of forest products  last week. 

The EU TR, which will come into effect in March 2013, will impact everyone trading in timber and timber products in the EU, including paper, packaging, furniture, wood fuel etc - potentially bringing thousands of companies producing forest products or importing them from outside the EU into its scope.The regulation will apply to all Member States and will make it illegal to place timber and timber products which have been illegally-harvested at the point of origin, onto the EU market.

In preparation, PEFC is in the process of revising its International Chain of Custody standard to support certified companies in meeting the Regulation's requirements. The Stakeholder Meeting, which took place on 26 June 2012 in London, updated participants on perspectives and developments in relation to the EU TR and was well-received by company representatives from a wide variety of sectors.

Presentations

• Agenda
• PwC's Sustainability Barometer - Research, trends & developments
  Mark Thompson, PricewaterhouseCoopers
• The EU Timber Regulation - How will it affect your company?
  Rachel Butler, European Timber Trade Federation
• Print management - A sector viewpoint on raw material procurement and supply
  Catherine Burke, Banner Managed Communication
• The Retail Approach to Procurement - Managing forest product risk
  Julia Griffin, B&Q Limited
• Protecting Your Corporate Reputation - How certification can support responsible procurement
  Sarah Price, PEFC International