Factsheet on the European Union Timber Regulation

The EU Timber Regulation, effective March 3, 2013, prohibits the placement of illegally logged timber on the EU market. Operators must perform due diligence by accessing information on timber species and origin, assessing the risk of illegal logging, and taking mitigation steps. While VPA licenses and CITES permits are automatically recognized as legal, certification schemes can only be used as tools for risk assessment and do not alone evidence compliance. Enforcement is the responsibility of the 28 EU Member States, with penalties including fines, seizure of timber, and criminal prosecution.

• The EU Timber Regulation, which entered into force on March 3, 2013, makes it illegal to place timber on the EU market if it was logged in violation of the laws of its country of origin.
• Operators who first place timber on the EU market must follow a three-step risk assessment process: accessing information (such as species and country of origin), evaluating the risk of illegal logging, and taking steps to mitigate that risk.
• Only VPA licenses and CITES permits are automatically recognized as evidence of legality under the regulation. While certification schemes can be used as tools for risk assessment, they cannot be used alone to prove compliance.
• Enforcement of the regulation is the responsibility of the 28 EU Member States, and penalties for non-compliance vary by country, potentially including fines, seizure of timber, and criminal prosecution.

APA

ClientEarth (n.d.). Factsheet on the European Union Timber Regulation. https://www.clientearth.org/media/c4mjss4q/2013-07-01-factsheet-on-the-european-union-timber-regulation-ce-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Factsheet on the European Union Timber Regulation. n.d. https://www.clientearth.org/media/c4mjss4q/2013-07-01-factsheet-on-the-european-union-timber-regulation-ce-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=Factsheet on the European Union Timber Regulation |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/c4mjss4q/2013-07-01-factsheet-on-the-european-union-timber-regulation-ce-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearthndfactsheet, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Factsheet on the European Union Timber Regulation}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/c4mjss4q/2013-07-01-factsheet-on-the-european-union-timber-regulation-ce-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }