Legal Strategies to Halt Illegal Timber Trade

Illegal harvest and trade of timber threatens forests and communities. Economic gains are put before human rights and the environment, but these practices are the norm rather than the exception in many parts of the world.

Legal frameworks, such as the US Lacey Act and European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR), to combat illegal logging in countries of export have the potential for significant global impacts. However, their success in halting illegal logging worldwide is highly dependent on whether companies believe that the risks of being prosecuted in the US and EU outweigh the financial gains from sourcing lower cost illegal timber. CIEL works to support NGO investigations of illegal logging to bring more cases for prosecution by governments, full implementation of the Lacey Act and EUTR provisions, and development of legality policies in additional demand side countries.

Last updated February 2015