Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-07-06-Speech-3-448"
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"en.20050706.33.3-448"2
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".
Mr President, first of all can I say how glad I am that we are having this discussion tonight. Illegal logging has not, until now, been given the priority it deserves in the Commission or the Council, despite the fact that half the logging in vulnerable regions is illegal and that every year an area of rainforest the size of Belgium disappears.
The motion for a resolution deals comprehensively with actions that can be taken to stop illegal logging, but the most important thing is that some action is taken. This is a case of the best being the enemy of the good. We do not need further delay while we argue how far action should go.
Voluntary partnership agreements are a good place to start. Developing countries will need support to get the necessary certification systems in place, but such support is already available as an element of development cooperation, as the Commissioner has just indicated. It is widely believed that voluntary partnerships will not put a stop to all illegal logging.
I hope, therefore, that the Council and the Commission will clearly flag up right now that further action is anticipated down the line in order to deal with the refusniks who are not prepared to go down the path of voluntary agreements. However, there are several things we can do from the European side to make voluntary agreements a success. Twenty per cent of timber in Europe is purchased by governments, so Member State public procurement policy has a huge role to play. By insisting that governments purchase only legal timber, Member States can wield an enormous carrot, pulling producer countries towards certification. So far, unfortunately, only five EU Member States have moved towards a public procurement policy.
Secondly, we can make use of consumer power. Over 70 European timber firms have already signed up to a declaration committing them to trading only in legal wood. They are not being altruistic. They know that consumers do not want to buy furniture from illegal sources and that people are quite prepared to pay a little bit extra to make sure that their tables and chairs have not added to the destruction of the rainforest. I hope, therefore, that we will have no more delay. Let us get on with implementing the FLEGT action plan."@en1
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