The European Commission announced the proposed law at a recent press conference in Brussels, but Greenpeace is calling on the UK government to use its influence to toughen up the regulations 
before they are implemented across the continent.
The proposal announced today falls short in a number of areas which must be strengthened before it becomes law:
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It does not define universal legality standards. It is vital that standards and penalties are the same across Europe to prevent unscrupulous companies targeting countries with weaker enforcement.
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The possession and trading of illegal timber is not explicitly made a punishable offence.
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Retailers and importers are not required to prove the legality of their products. Their only obligation is to ensure that they have used 'due diligence' to minimise the risk of placing illegal products on the market, but the requirements are not clear enough at this time.
Reacting to the news, Greenpeace forest campaigner, Mariana Paoli, said: "The Commission's proposal for this law will not help UK consumers know if the flat-pack wardrobe they bought last Saturday is the result of forest crime. We now need the UK government to use its influence in Europe to get this proposal toughened up before it becomes law."
