International Tropical Timber Agreement, 2006

2006/0263(NLE) 18/07/2007

PURPOSE: to conclude, on behalf of the EC, the “International Tropical Timber Agreement, 2006.”

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

BACKGROUND: in 1994 the EC became a party to the “International Tropical Timber Agreement”, which was renegotiated in January 2006 under the aegis of UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development). The newly negotiated Agreement replaces the 1994 Agreement, which will remain in force until the entry into force of the 2006 Agreement.

CONTENT: the purpose of this proposal is to conclude, on behalf of the EC, the 2006 International Tropical Timber Agreement.

The objective of the Agreement, amongst others, is:

to provide an effective framework for consultation, international cooperation and policy development regarding the world timber economy;
to provide a consultation forum in order to promote non-discriminatory timer practices;
to contribute to sustainable development and to poverty alleviation;
to enhance members’ capacity to export tropical timber and timber products from sustainably managed sources;
to promote improved understanding of long term trends in the tropical timber market;
to improve forest management and wood utilisation research;
to improve market transparency;
to encourage tropical timber reforestation and restoration of degraded forest land (taking the needs of local communities into account);
to improve the collection of timber statistics;
to encourage the development of national policies that seek to conserve timber producing forests and that maintain an ecological balance;
to strengthen forest law enforcement, governance; and
to address the problem of illegal logging of tropical timber.

The Agreement also details the organisation and administration of the International Tropical Timber Organisation; its membership, voting rights, powers and functions as well as its composition.

Legislative proposal