At the end of November, the European Commission closed the public consultation on a fitness check for the EU Timber Regulation (EU) No. 995/2010.

In addition to the review of the EU Timber Regulation, the fitness check also serves to reflect on the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation (EC) No 2173/2005) in terms of the effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, relevance and EU added value of the two regulations.

In its legislative resolution of 22 October 2020, the European Parliament called in this context, inter alia, for the extension of the scope of the regulations to include printed and wooden products.

Further, including forest-related aspects in the obligation on non-financial reporting (CSR reporting) and the involvement of all actors along the supply chain, including SMEs, could also be an instrument to strengthen the fight against illegal logging.

The fitness check is part of the European Commission’s 2020 work program under the “European Green Deal” and serves not only to making EU law simpler, less costly and future proof but also to assess measures for other commodities.

However, one thing is once again becoming evident: cooperation and exchange along the value and supply chain will continue to be of fundamental importance for companies that aim to market their products in a sustainable and future-proof manner.