Being a responsible purchaser
If you or your business in any aspects deals with timber you should be aware of the EUTR and implement steps accordingly.
There are five key things to know:
1. The EUTR bans illegal timber in the EU and requires those companies that place timber or timber products on the EU market for the first time to undergo due diligence. It must happen before the product is purchased. It has to be undertaken even if the product is certified.
2. The EUTR states that you must keep a record of the supplier, timber species, origin, quantities, risk assessment conducted and evidence collected.
3. You must assess and only use credible information.
4. If you are buying a product already on the EU market, and, on which due diligence has taken place, you need to keep records on whom you brought the product from and to whom you sold it. This helps the enforcement authority to trace illegal products along the supply chain and take them off the market if necessary.
5. The TTF have developed a business toolkit that enables companies to comply with the legislation, called the Responsible Purchasing Policy (RPP)a