Info-brief: EUTR enforcement in France

The document outlines France's EUTR enforcement, noting that the Ministère de l’Agriculture, de l’Agroalimentaire et de la Forêt (MAAF) and the Ministère de l'Environnement, de l'Énergie et de la Mer (MEEM) serve as competent authorities. It details a penalty system including fines up to €100,000 and detention for individuals, with higher penalties for companies and organized gangs. While it highlights strengths such as the ability for 'approved' NGOs to file criminal complaints, it identifies weaknesses including a low number of checks by the MEEM and a lack of sanctions for traceability obligation failures.

• The EUTR is enforced in France by two competent authorities: the Ministère de l’Agriculture, de l’Agroalimentaire et de la Forêt (MAAF), which inspects logging companies and importing sawmills, and the Ministère de l'Environnement, de l'Énergie et de la Mer (MEEM), which inspects other importers.
• France has established a tiered penalty regime for EUTR violations. Individual penalties for placing illegal timber on the market or failing to maintain a due diligence system can reach €100,000 in fines and 2 years of detention. For organized gangs, fines can reach €500,000 and detention up to 7 years. Legal persons (companies) can face fines up to five times the individual levels, meaning penalties for illegal timber placement can reach €500,000.
• Administrative penalties for failing to implement a due diligence system or placing illegal timber on the market include a maximum fine of €15,000 and a daily penalty of €1,500 until compliance, provided the operator ignored a formal notice from the Competent Authority.
• Civil society engagement is permitted through two channels: NGOs can submit substantiated concerns to the Competent Authority to request checks, and 'approved' NGOs can file criminal complaints against operators if they can demonstrate damage to the interests they defend.
• The document identifies specific enforcement weaknesses, notably the low volume of checks performed by the MEEM and the absence of sanctions for traders who fail to comply with the traceability obligations under Article 5 of the EUTR.

APA

ClientEarth (2017). Info-brief: EUTR enforcement in France. https://www.clientearth.org/media/hh0dwqm1/2017-03-28-eutr-enforcement-in-france-ce-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Info-brief: EUTR enforcement in France. 2017. https://www.clientearth.org/media/hh0dwqm1/2017-03-28-eutr-enforcement-in-france-ce-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=Info-brief: EUTR enforcement in France |date=March 2017 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/hh0dwqm1/2017-03-28-eutr-enforcement-in-france-ce-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearth2017infobrief, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Info-brief: EUTR enforcement in France}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2017}, month = mar, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/hh0dwqm1/2017-03-28-eutr-enforcement-in-france-ce-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }