Time for new EU law to ban illegal timber

Art is a great way of campaigning and that's exactly what our EU unit did at the European Commission's headquarters in Brussels today. A 12 metre illegally logged Amazon tree trunk was unveiled, studded with nine video monitors by celebrated Brazilian artist Siron Franco. The monitors drew attention to the trade in illegal timber from the Amazon by displaying images of the rainforest's destruction and also its beauty.

In a few week's time, the European Commission will vote on whether to adopt a new law against the trade in illegally harvested timber later this month and ensure that such wood products come from environmentally and socially responsible sources. Sebastien Risso, our forest campaigner said: "We urgently need this new law to regulate the timber market so that consumers are not made unwilling accomplices of forest crimes. It is unthinkable that forest ecosystems are degraded for the sake of cheap garden furniture, paper tissues and disposable construction material."

Political and conservation big wigs including EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas and Ruben Gomes, head of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) board in Brazil, were present. EU politicians paying a visit to our display were presented with a plywood postcard with the message: 'Stop the chainsaw massacre! Adopt EU timber law now.'

Write to European Commission president José Manuel Barroso asking him to back tough measures to stop illegal timber imports. 66,000 letters have already been sent from all over the world supporting a new law against illegal logging in places like the Amazon, south-east Asia and the Congo. Deforestation is a leading cause of climate change, loss of wildlife and displacement of communities, so a law tackling this issue could help trace the source of the wood and help prevent further deforestation.