{"id":88795,"date":"2025-04-25T04:36:33","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T04:36:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tin.happy-projects.ro\/sanctioned-russian-timber-continue-to-flow-into-uk-eu-market\/"},"modified":"2025-09-19T09:04:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T09:04:08","slug":"sanctioned-russian-timber-continue-to-flow-into-uk-eu-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.timberindustrynews.com\/ro\/sanctioned-russian-timber-continue-to-flow-into-uk-eu-market\/","title":{"rendered":"Sanctioned Russian timber continue to flow into UK, EU market"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/span>Nearly half of birch wood certified as sustainable in the UK has been misidentified, with samples traced to countries other than the labeled origin, according to new research. The study suggests that large quantities of timber from Russia and Belarus, which are under European sanctions, continue to be smuggled into Britain.<\/p>\n

Conducted by World Forest ID\u2014a consortium that includes Kew Gardens and the World Resources Institute\u2014the study focused on birch products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). Birch is a widely used hardwood in products such as furniture, kitchen panels, and musical instruments. The study found that 46% of the certified birch wood samples, labelled as coming from Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, and Latvia, did not match their claimed origin.<\/p>\n

The analysis raises concerns that timber from Russia and Belarus, both significant producers of birch, is being falsely labeled as originating from European countries. This comes despite an EU-wide ban on timber from Russia and Belarus following Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n

\"The tests show that significant quantities of birch are likely originating from Russia and Belarus, which should be barred from entering the UK under current sanctions,\" said David Hopkins, Chief Executive of Timber Development UK, responding to the findings. \"There\u2019s a small amount of legal production in the Baltics, but the majority of this birch is likely entering via illegal channels.\"<\/p>\n

Certification schemes under scrutiny<\/strong><\/p>\n

Both FSC and PEFC are the most widely recognized timber certification systems globally, designed to promote responsible forest management and prevent deforestation. In response to Russia's actions in Ukraine, FSC suspended its certification for timber from Russia and Belarus, while PEFC classified their timber as \u201cconflict timber,\u201d effectively invalidating any certification.<\/p>\n

However, the World Forest ID\u2019s analysis suggests the certification systems may not be reliable. Of the 52 samples tested, 24 had incorrect harvesting claims. Although the testing focused on a small sample size, the authors of the study argued that the findings underscore the inadequacies in current timber oversight.<\/p>\n

To trace the origins of the wood, researchers employed stable isotope ratio analysis, comparing the chemical makeup of the birch samples with a reference database from northern and eastern Europe. This method uses isotopic markers, influenced by environmental conditions like soil and water, to pinpoint the geographical origin of the wood.<\/p>\n

Jade Saunders, Executive Director of World Forest ID, emphasized the need for stronger traceability mechanisms. \u201cChemical traceability is a game-changer for understanding what is really in our supply chains. It's time for governments and certification bodies to take a more proactive role in ensuring supply-chain integrity,\" she said.<\/p>\n

Impact of smuggled timber<\/strong><\/p>\n

The findings also point to an alarming trend where timber from Russia continues to be smuggled into the EU through transit countries such as China, Turkey, and Kazakhstan. Products from well-known brands, including disposable wooden items from McDonald's and Starbucks, have been found to be made from Russian timber, despite false claims on the packaging.<\/p>\n

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) conducted a similar investigation, revealing that illegal timber worth at least 120 million euros is entering Germany alone each year. Since Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine, around 500,000 cubic meters of illegal timber, valued at 1.5 billion euros, have been exported to Europe. The scale of illegal logging in Russia itself is also concerning, with estimates suggesting that up to 50% of logging in eastern Russia is illegal.<\/p>\n

Weaknesses in certification<\/strong><\/p>\n

The study casts doubt on the reliability of certifications like FSC and PEFC. These labels, intended to guarantee sustainable sourcing, have been compromised by fraudulent claims of timber origin. \u201cThe existence of fake certifications undermines trust in the sustainability schemes,\u201d said Johannes Zahnen, Forest Expert at WWF Germany. \"Companies need to take responsibility for ensuring that their products come from legal sources, otherwise they risk unknowingly supporting Russia\u2019s war effort.\"<\/p>\n

Calls for stricter controls<\/strong><\/p>\n

Both the FSC and PEFC have pledged to improve their systems. The FSC stated it was working on new technologies to enhance supply-chain monitoring, while the PEFC urged that the findings be seen in context, noting that only a minority of the samples were linked to their certification.<\/p>\n

WWF is calling for stricter controls and enforcement of the EU\u2019s timber import ban, urging companies to thoroughly vet their suppliers to prevent the use of illegally sourced Russian timber. As the war in Ukraine continues, the urgency of ensuring compliance with sanctions grows ever more pressing.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nearly half of birch wood certified as sustainable in the UK has been misidentified, with samples traced to countries other than the labeled origin, according to new research. The study suggests that large quantities of timber from Russia and Belarus, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":84387,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4716],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-88795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-trends"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSanctioned Russian timber continue to flow into UK, EU market - Timber Industry News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.timberindustrynews.com\/ro\/sanctioned-russian-timber-continue-to-flow-into-uk-eu-market\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ro_RO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sanctioned Russian timber continue to flow into UK, EU market - Timber Industry News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Nearly half of birch wood certified as sustainable in the UK has been misidentified, with samples traced to countries other than the labeled origin, according to new research. 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