Illegally cut timber among Russian imports to Finland
Russia hopes to weed out illegal felling
|
|
|
Russia’s Deputy Minister for Industry and Energy Ivan Materov admits that Russia’s system of authenticating the origins of sawn timber does not work properly, and that consequently, illegally cut trees are among the wood imported by Finland from Russia.
Large Finnish wood buyers say that they follow the certification rules by checking on the origins of the wood that they import.
Materov, who visited the Finnish-Russian Forest Summit held in Helsinki, admits that it is not the Finns’ fault that more wood is felled in a designated area than is authorised.
Experts believe that up to one fifth of Russia’s wood exports involve illegally felled timber.
At the gathering in Helsinki, Jukka Härmälä, the CEO of the Finnish paper manufacturer Stora Enso, emphasised that Finnish wood buyers act responsibly, and that they check the origin of the wood according to certification rules.
UPM CEO Jussi Pesonen also stressed that his company does not buy wood that has been illegally cut.
Materov pointed out that the problem is with the confused system surrounding the felling of wood. He said that a new law on forestry is to rectify the situation.
Kauko Parviainen, head of wood imports at Stora Enso, said that one problem is that the timber received by the buyers usually comes from the area agreed on, but that often more trees are cut than the licence calls for.
With its forest certification system, Russia hopes to bring illegal felling under control, and to take other measures aimed at internationally acceptable sustainable forestry.
S.T. Igritsky, the chairman of the body developing the certification system, says that Russia will introduce an independent national certification system, which it hopes will become part of the Pan European Forest Certification (PEFC) arrangement.
Helsingin Sanomat
|
| 27.10.2004 - TODAY |
 Illegally cut timber among Russian imports to Finland |
|
