The EU Timber Regulation will impact EU-based companies as well as their suppliers. In collaboration with the non-profit organisation NEPCon, ETTF is launching a project that seeks to raise awareness of the EU Timber Regulation amongst timber traders and producers in Eastern Europe and Russia.
12 February 2013: Timber product traders in Eastern Europe and Russia are generally aware of the EU Timber Regulation, but still need to understand its requirements and how it will affect their business. ETTF is now launching a project offering information targeting buyers in Eastern European EU countries as well as suppliers in non-EU countries.
This is done through a series of seminars focussing on the EU Timber Regulation. Targeting all businesses impacted by the regulation, events will be organised in the Czech Republic, Latvia, Poland, Russia and Ukraine during the period March-May 2013. The seminars thus follow closely after the entry into force of the regulation on 3 March 2013.
Local industry associations and other key organisations will receive direct invitations that they can disseminate to their members, and in addition the seminars will be announced through relevant local industry media. The media will also be invited to cover the events. The events are expected to equip hundreds of companies with knowledge helping them to navigate the new market conditions. Leaflets with concise guidance for companies based in both EU and non-EU countries will be handed out to participants.
“The seminars will be tailored to the specific situation of each country and will involve local industry representatives. Events organised in EU countries will have a slightly different focus than events held in Russia and Ukraine, reflecting the different needs of companies based in the export countries compared to those who as EU operators are facing the full set of due diligence obligations”, explains André de Boer, Secretary General of the ETTF.
The events will be announced through relevant local media and social media platforms, and the project team will also seek to engage the media in covering the seminars.
The project is conducted in close collaboration with the non-profit organisation NEPCon and its local staff based in the five countries.