To stop the trafficking of tropical timber, the EU is signing agreements with African countries. Logging without controls will no longer be tolerated!

A-Z: D for Deforestation

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/15455085/J002-0072-EN.srt

Annually, 15 million hectares  are cut down around the world.

If deforestation carries on at this rate,

tropical forests will all look like this.

If we want to keep our forests we must  control the trade in illegal timber.

How can we avoid the illegal logging  of millions of trees?

Nearly half of the tropical timber that  comes to the EU from Africa is illegal.

The EU wants to put an end  to this traffic.

The aim is to sign agreements  with countries like Congo or Cameroon.

This agreement is so that  we can be very sure

that the tropical timber  that is coming into the EU

will be traceable  and come from sustainable sources.

Traceability means being sure of  where the timber comes from.

Congo and Cameroon will have to certify  the origin of the timber they sell.

African woodcutters will have  a permit to log trees.

The aim is to control and not forbid  the trade in timber as locals live off it,

so we must protect their rights  and prevent illegal logging.

With this agreement there is a revision of  the law to make sure that

the rights of those communities  are being recognised.

Those communities will have  a more direct way

of benefiting from  their own resources.

But these resources  have to remain sustainable.

Forestry developers won't be able  to destroy forests anymore.

Congo or Cameroon will have to stick  to these deforestation agreements

Every two seconds, a forest as big as  a football pitch disappears.

At this rate, Portugal  would disappear in one year.

If MEPs vote yes other agreements  to fight illegal timber are anticipated.

Next target: Asian countries  like Malaysia or Philippines.