• What is Pro Tropenholz? Pro Tropenholz is an association of long-established timber importers and distributors with similar concerns..

    What is Pro Tropenholz?

    Pro Tropenholz is an association of long-established timber importers and distributors with similar concerns..

  • Trade in Tropical Timber A legitimate international timber trade does not lead to the destruction of the vital tropical forests.

    Trade in Tropical Timber

    A legitimate international timber trade does not lead to the destruction of the vital tropical forests.

  • Boycotting Tropical Timber A boycott does not address the issue of saving the forests.

    Boycotting Tropical Timber

    A boycott does not address the issue of saving the forests.

  • Preservation of Tropical Timber The economic use of this precious resource enables the protection of the entire eco-system.

    Preservation of Tropical Timber

    The economic use of this precious resource enables the protection of the entire eco-system.

  • Sustainable Use of Tropical Timber Sustainable use and a sensible afforestation also benefit the people living in or near them.

    Sustainable Use of Tropical Timber

    Sustainable use and a sensible afforestation also benefit the people living in or near them.

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How can the illegal felling of timber be stopped?

The Thünen Institute suggests a solution on itswebsite:

“One way of halting the carve-up of forests would be to initiate sustainable forest management. This requires adhering to the nationally valid legislation when felling trees. Regrettably this cannot be guaranteed globally. Therefore the EU has intervened within the framework of the FLEGT-Action Plan (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade).

The  EU Timber Trade Regulation (EU Holzhandelsverordnung), in force since 3 March 2013, starts with a question page. It prohibits the marketing of timber and timber  products from illegal logging within the EU. A start-up organisation in the timber trade has to ensure that the timber comes from legitimate sources and, moreover, has to fulfill the various obligations for its care. It must state the kind and origin of the timber as well as disclosing the supplier and, if necessary, undertaking to minimise the risk of the timber coming from illegal logging.

The regulations governing the timber trade complement existing local partnership arrangements with six tropical countries so far: Ghana, the Republic of Congo, the Republic of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Indonesia and Liberia. These states are introducing a permit and licensing system to ensure that only legally felled timber is exported to the EU. Apart from the EU, the USA and Australia have drafted similar regulations prohibiting the trade of illegally felled timber.”