Measuring administrative burdens

1
UK Government timber procurement policy
National Sustainable Procurement Stakeholder
Group 22 May 2008
Marigold Norman Department for Environment,
Food, and Rural Affairs
2
The UK timber procurement policy

• Since 2000, central government departments must
  seek to buy timber from sustainable and legal
  sources.
• Legal timber is a condition of contract.
• From 2009, policy will change to sustainable
  timber only, or timber licensed under the EU
  FLEGT initiative.

3
Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET)

• Established in 2005 to provide free advice to
  public sector and suppliers.
• Assessments of schemes and other evidence against
  government definitions of legality
  sustainability.
• Workshops, promotion, monitoring and guidance.
• Reference Board includes trade and ENGOs.

4
Legality and sustainability definitions

• Legality refers to compliance with relevant laws
  in the country of origin of the timber.
• Sustainability encompasses most elements of
  international definitions of sustainable forest
  management.
• Suppliers can use certified timber or other
  credible means of ensuring legality
  sustainability.

5
Impacts and influence of the policy

• 60 of timber imports into UK are certified
  significant increase since policy adopted.
• Other national governments have followed suit in
  developing timber procurement policies.
• Raising the standards of SFM (through
  certification schemes)
• Timber Trade Federation policy is a significant
  driver for removing illegal timber from the
  supply chain.

6
Work with local authorities on timber procurement

• Defra working to encourage local authority
  development and implementation of a timber
  procurement policy.
• Defra working with the Timber Trade Federation
  and the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) on a
  joint strategy aimed at offering the maximum
  support to local authorities.
• Meeting on 25th June with around10 London LAs and
  industry/NGO representatives to discuss a London
  forum to share information and best practice.

7
What next?

• London forum and promotion of the CPET services
  to local authorities. Important to stress the
  link between timber and the Local Government
  Sustainable Procurement Strategy.
• EU considering mandatory green public procurement
  policies this would mean that all 27 Member
  States have to purchase legal timber.
• EU considering legislation to tackle illegal
  logging.

8
Thank you. Any questions?

• Marigold Norman
• 44 (0)20 7270 8408
• marigold.norman_at_defra.gsi.gov.uk
• CPET
• 44 (0)1865 243766
• cpet_at_proforest.net
• www.proforest.net/cpet