When timber companies cut wood illegally, this leads to a variety of negative consequences at an international level. Among other things, it contributes to deforestation and logging, endangers biodiversity and weakens forestry.

If you want to import timber or timber products from countries outside the EU into the EU for the first time, you must prove that the timber and timber products are legally harvested.

To do this, you must comply with certain due diligence obligations. The due diligence regulations include, among other things

• Information on the type and origin of the wood,
• facts about the supplier and
• procedures for assessing and reducing the risk that the timber could originate from illegal logging.

This is intended to combat the trade in illegally harvested timber. The Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) checks that you as a market participant comply with the requirements of the regulation.

You must therefore notify the BLE of your activities as a market participant once before you start importing. Please note that you must also notify the BLE immediately of any changes to the data you have already submitted.