Government officials of Myanmar announced plans to combat illegal logging shortly after signing a memorandum of understanding with the European Union regarding the new EU Timber Regulation, says Eleven Media of Myanmar.
The regulation, which went into effect on March 3, is intended to prevent illegal timber from entering the European Union, requiring importers and other Europeans in wood products industries to exercise due diligence regarding the source of their timber. But U Ohn, vice chairman of the nongovernmental Forest Resource Environment Development and Conservation Association in Myamnar, and others expressed their concern for Myanmar's forests.
"Forest areas cover only one-fifth of the whole country now because of legal and illegal timber production," U Ohn said. "Teak production is now only 20 percent of all timber production. If you want to cut a tree, you have to prove that it is legal. If not, it is illegal. The reason teak production has fallen to 20 percent of total production is because of illegal timber production [which has reduced the amount of teak forests in the country]," he told Eleven.
Reports in state-run media said teak exports to the EU could begin in June.
