Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 230/2/11

12 July 2012

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 541/2012

European Union (EU)* : Placing of Timber and Timber Products on the Market

Further to Commercial Information Circular No 546/2010 of 26 November 2010, the European Commission has adopted a Regulation laying down detailed rules concerning the due diligence system and the frequency and the nature of checks on monitoring organisation as provided in Regulation (EU) No 995/2010. Details are set out in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 607/2012 (the Regulation), which can be accessed through the following link: 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:177:0016:0018:EN:PDF

DETAILS

2. Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 obliges operators to use a framework of procedures and measures in order to minimize the risk of placing illegally harvested timber or products derived from illegally harvested timber on the internal market. It is necessary to clarify cases in which information on the full scientific name of tree species, the sub-national region where the timber was harvested and the concession of harvest needs to be provided. It is also necessary to specify the frequency and nature of checks that the competent authorities need to carry out on monitoring organisations. In this regard, the Regulation lays down detailed rules accordingly and it shall enter into force on 27 July 2012.

ENQUIRIES

3. For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5556.

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Anita WONG)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.