8/12/2019 Bois illgal : rponse de la Commission europenne

1/4

EUROPEAN COMMISSIONDIRECTORATE-GENERALENVIRONMENTDirectorate E - International AffairsENV.E.2 lobal Sustainabllity, Trade Multilateral AgreementsHead of Unit

, 8 5 2 0 1 4Brussels,Ares(2014)ClientEarthEmail: eunwin@,clientearth.orgGreenpeaceEmail: sebastien.risso@greenpeace.orgWWFEmail: aschulmeister@,wwfepo.org

Subject: Clarification on the interpretation of articles 2 g), 4 1) and 19 of theEU Timber Regulation.

Dear Ms Unwin,

Dear Mr Risso,Dear Ms Schulmeister,Thank you for bringing to our attention your concerns regarding the implementation ofRegulation (EU) 995/2010 (the EUTR) in France. I would like to highlight that is not theCommission's role to provide an interpretation of the EU legislation; the Court of Justiceinterprets the EU law to make sure it is applied in the same way in all EU countries. It isthe Commission's task, however, to oversee the application of the Union law in theMember States of the Union.Turning to your concerns with regard to the French draft legislation laying down rules onpenalties as provided for in Article 19(2) of the EUTR I would like to make the followingcomments: While the Regulation leaves it to the Member States to enact rules onpenalties applicable to infringements of the provisions of the Regulation, it limits theirmargin of discretion with two requirements, namely that rules on penalties must be laiddown for infringements of the provisions of the EUTR, and that penalties must beeffective, proportionate and dissuasive. The elaboration of such penalties must alsostrictly follow the letter and the spirit of the relevant provision.

Commission europenne/Europese Commissie, 1049Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGI - Tel. 32 22991111Office: BU9 3/186 - Tel. direct line 32 229-6.26.14Hugo-Maria.Schally@ec.europa.eu

8/12/2019 Bois illgal : rponse de la Commission europenne

2/4

The cited provision of the draft French legislation1 establishes penalties for infringementsof the provision of Article 4(1) of the EUTR. This provision states The placing on themarket of illegally harvested timber or timber products derived rom such timber shall eprohibited. h(Za mise sur le march de bois issus d une rcolte illgale ou de produitsdrivs de ces bois est interdite). From the text submitted in annex to your letter itwould appear that the French draft legislation contains language, which is not inconformity withArticle 4(1) of the EUTR and in substance represents a significantdeparture rom it: ... d une rcolte reconnue illgale par l autorit comptente du paysde rcolte... If the French draft is adopted as it stands it risks to distort - or moreprecisely limit - the correct application of the EUTR in France and could impair theuniformity of the implementation and enforcement of the regulation across the EU.In reply to your specific questions:1. Can the Commission confirm that the definition of illegally harvested timber set outin Article 2(g) of the EUTR encompasses timber harvested in contravention of theapplicable legislation in the country of harvest, and does not demand that timber hasbeen recognised as illegal by the authorities of the country of harvest?The definition of 'illegally harvested' timber set out in Article 2(g) of the EUTR does notrequire that timber has been recognised or established as illegal by the authorities of thecountry of harvest.2. Can the Commission confirm that the application of the prohibition of placing on themarket illegally harvested timber or timber products derived from such timber, set out inArticle 4(1) of the EUTR, is not conditional upon the recognition by the authorities of thecountry of harvest that the timber has been illegally harvested?

The prohibition of placing on the market illegally harvested timber or timber productsderived from such timber as set out in Article 4(1) of the EUTR is not conditional uponthe explicit recognition or determination by the authorities of the country of harvest that aspecific consignment or shipment of timber has been illegally harvested.3. In light of Questions 1 and 2, can the Commission confirm that the application ofpenalties for an infringement of Article 4(1) of the EUTR cannot be made conditionalupon the recognition of the illegality of the timber by the authorities of the country ofharvest?The enacting and application of penalties for an infringement of Article 4(1) of the EUTRcannot be made conditional upon any requirement, which is not laid down by theprovisions of this regulation.

1 IV bis nouveau). - Le fait de mettre sur le march, en mconnaissance des dispositions du 1 de l'article4 du rglement (UE) n 995/2010 du Parlement europen et du Conseil, du 20 octobre 2010, prcit,des bois issus d'une rcolte reconnue illgale par l'autorit comptente du pays de rcolte ou deproduits drivs deces bois est puni dedeux ans d'emprisonnement et d'une amende comprise entreune deux fois la valeur de l'objet de l'infraction.

8/12/2019 Bois illgal : rponse de la Commission europenne

3/4

4. Can the Commission confirm that Member States cannot, when they implement an EURegulation, adopt provisions that change the definitions set out in the said Regulation orotherwise restrict its scope?

A regulation is directly binding on all subjects within the EU and any national measuresadopted may not be established in a way would apply and enforce the regulationincompletely, selectively or partially .

Yours sincerely,

For more details on the Regulations, please refer to:http://europa.eu/legislation summaries/institutional affairs/decisionmaking process/1 4522 en.htm3

8/12/2019 Bois illgal : rponse de la Commission europenne

4/4