Bruxelles, Belgium - The EU members must take measures in order to reduce illegal timber imports. This action is aimed to save the endangered forests and to solve the problems of climatic changes caused by exesive harvestings.
Stavros Dimas, inspector of the Environment Guard revealed these plans, adding that, by the year 2020, harvestings should be reduced by 50%.
EU officials are already negociating voluntary agrements with Indonesia, Malayesia and Ghana, in hope of reducing transports of wood provided from protected areas to the Union. Dimas declares that EU nations should change their legislation, thus importers of illegal wood would be fined or arrested.
In his plans, he recommends fundings so that importer countries can conserve ols forests, of national interest.
"When a forest dissapears so does a variety of plants and species. This leads to disastrous and irreversable consequences", declares Dimas, who hopes that global harvestings will end by 2030.
The European Union found itself placed in an akward situation in 2006, when officials admitted that illegal wood was used in the construction of the Bruxelles headquarters.
Climatology experts underline the forest's vital role in absorbing carbon dioxide emissions, which cause global warming.
European leaders promissed to adopt these expensive plans aimed on reducing emissions with 20% by 2020, despite the latest financial crisis. Yet, seven EU members have announced that these costs will cripple their national economy.
|
