Environmental groups urged the European Union (EU) and Malaysia to set-up mandatory regulations as opposed to 'voluntary' measures to curb the illegal timber trade.

The UK-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Indonesia-based Telapak said current plans to forge a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) between the EU and Malaysia was 'futile and ineffective' until legislation were put in place to ban the import of illegal timber.

EIA and Telapak were responding to the announcement in Brussels last week that talks between the EU and Malaysia to forge the VPA had officially begun. The agreement is expected to be finalised next year.

"While this voluntary approach is welcomed and a step forward, it by no means is going to stop the problem. You're still going to have these cross-border smuggling," said EIA's head of forests campaign Julian Newman when contacted over the weekend.

Indonesia and Malaysia have banned the import of illegal logs. While Indonesia has banned the export of illegal rough-sawn timber, Malaysia has not enacted any legislation against this.

According to Newman, this is due to the Malaysian industries' dependence on rough-sawn timber, particularly those coming from Indonesia.

In a joint press release with EIA Friday, Telapak urged the EU to insist on Malaysia ceasing its role as one of the world's major transit points for the illegal timber trade, particularly logs from Indonesia.

"Without such measures any agreement will be worthless and Indonesia's forests will remain under seige," said Telapak forest campaigner M Yayat Afianto.

Other measures needed

Newman said the EU - which imports about US$3 billion worth of stolen timber yearly - has no legislation to prevent the import of illegally-sourced timber.

"The EC has also got to look at its own backyard. It's not good enough to go to Malaysia and say 'You must make sure your timber's legal' but at the same time the EU's market is wide-open to timber from other countries.

"The problem is the players in the timber trade in Europe do not want to be regulated. They have won, so this voluntary approach now is advocated," he added.

Newman said the only category of illegally-sourced timber prohibited by the EU is under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES). CITIES regulations, however, pertain to only a small portion of the illegal timber trade.

He said the only tree species prohibited under CITIES is ramin, so any other timber that has found its way to the EU cannot be stopped and confiscated.

"In the EU-Malaysia VPA negotiations, it must be recognised that the voluntary approach alone is not sufficient. There are other steps that can be taken that would be much more effective.

"It has to be made clear to those who deal in this trade that they have a cost to bear financially if they get caught, because right now that's not happening," he stressed.