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COMMODITY NEWS<br />
TIMBER<br />
Revival Of Tropical Hardwood<br />
Market Promotion In Europe<br />
The EU Sustainable Tropical Timber Coalition [STTC] was<br />
launched in November last year. Since then it has acquired<br />
new members to expand the network of private, public<br />
and civil society players committed to promoting European<br />
demand for certified and FLEGT licensed timber products.<br />
It has also constituted several working groups which are<br />
developing and coordinating a communications and technical<br />
program.<br />
STTC has a target to contribute to the achievement of<br />
sustainable management of up to 10 million hectares of<br />
tropical forest by 2015 by making the business case for<br />
certification more attractive for concession holders.<br />
“<br />
The aim is to accelerate demand<br />
for certified or licensed timber<br />
from sustainably managed tropical<br />
forests to the tipping point of 30%<br />
and to put a halt to declining use<br />
of tropical timber in front-running<br />
countries in the EU, through<br />
creating momentum in legality and<br />
sustainability efforts.<br />
”<br />
EU Sustainable Tropical Timber Coalition [STTC]<br />
Discussion has highlighted the need to focus on<br />
communication of technical qualities of tropical hardwood as<br />
well as the legality and sustainability issues.<br />
The need to build on existing communication tools has<br />
also been emphasised, for example the new technical<br />
procurement guide for African species now being developed<br />
by ATIBT and the database of lesser known wood species<br />
[LKWS] properties and applications now being developed by<br />
FSC in the Netherlands and Denmark.<br />
STTC now plans to set up meetings between relevant national<br />
government authorities in the EU to co-ordinate efforts in<br />
support of STTC goals.<br />
Efforts are also being made to facilitate business encounters<br />
in the most important EU countries for tropical timber in<br />
Europe identified as the UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany,<br />
Belgium, France, Italy, and Spain.<br />
Business encounters will focus first of all on a few big event<br />
notably BAU and Interzum in Germany, Carrefour du Bois in<br />
France and the Timber Expo in the UK.<br />
A large general European STTC meeting is also proposed,<br />
likely to be held in January 2015.<br />
[ITTO 01/05/14]<br />
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