25 Oct 2005

European Union to crack down on tropical timber imports

12:01 pm on 25 October 2005

The European Union is to create a voluntary scheme for licensing timber imports.

Exporters will be required to obtain licences to prove their wood doesn't come from endangered rainforests.

Illegally-felled timber in Papua New Guinea is being sold to China, from where campaigners say it's being sold on the European Union.

Fiji businesses are exporting timber to South America, from where it's sold on without the need for certificates of origin.