Info-brief: EUTR enforcement in Belgium

The document outlines Belgium's legal framework for the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), noting that while the penalty regime allows for high fines and imprisonment, enforcement is hindered by low human and financial resources. Between March 2013 and mid-July 2017, the Competent Authority conducted only 26 checks on operators. It also details the limited legal avenues for NGOs to challenge inaction by the Competent Authority regarding substantiated concerns.

• Belgium's penalty regime for EUTR violations includes criminal sanctions such as imprisonment from three days to three years and fines between €960 and €24,000,000 for operators placing illegal timber on the market or failing due diligence. If no criminal action is taken within three months, the Competent Authority can impose administrative fines from €480 to €1,200,000 and seize timber.
• Enforcement capacity is limited; in 2016, only one staff member at the Competent Authority spent 50% of their time on EUTR issues, and annual financial resources for implementation and enforcement are approximately €20,000.
• The Belgian Competent Authority conducted a total of 26 checks on operators from March 2013 to mid-July 2017, with the annual breakdown being one in 2013, six in 2014, ten in 2015, seven in 2016, and two in the first half of 2017.
• NGOs face challenges in pursuing substantiated concerns because the Competent Authority has no legal obligation to respond or make a formal decision on evidence provided by third parties, making it difficult to challenge inaction in administrative court.

APA

de Rouvre, D., & Koenig, M. (2017). Info-brief: EUTR enforcement in Belgium. ClientEarth. https://www.clientearth.org/media/samkjuu2/2017-07-17-belgian-eutr-enforcement-info-brief-ce-en.pdf

Chicago

de Rouvre, Diane, and Moritz Koenig. Info-brief: EUTR enforcement in Belgium. ClientEarth, 2017. https://www.clientearth.org/media/samkjuu2/2017-07-17-belgian-eutr-enforcement-info-brief-ce-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=de Rouvre |first1=Diane |last2=Koenig |first2=Moritz |title=Info-brief: EUTR enforcement in Belgium |publisher=ClientEarth |date=July 2017 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/samkjuu2/2017-07-17-belgian-eutr-enforcement-info-brief-ce-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{derouvre2017infobrief, author = {de Rouvre, Diane and Koenig, Moritz}, title = {{Info-brief: EUTR enforcement in Belgium}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2017}, month = jul, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/samkjuu2/2017-07-17-belgian-eutr-enforcement-info-brief-ce-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }