The parliament voted 644-25 in favour of the legislation, paving the way for the new rules to come into effect from 2012.

The regulations still need to be rubber stamped by the European Council of member states, although the final approval is expected to be a formality after the council signaled last month that it would support the legislation.

The new rules will close a loophole that has made it possible for European firms to import and sell timber that has been logged illegally.

A 2007 report by TRAFFIC estimated that up to 97% of timber exported from Tanzania, the source of much of the world’s African blackwood, originated from illegal logging.

Under the new regulations, all companies importing and selling timber in the EU will be required to demonstrate that they have exercised adequate due diligence to ensure their timber has been felled legally.

European environment commissioner Janez Potocnik welcomed the passage of the legislation, arguing that the regulations marked a significant step towards tackling illegal logging.

“Combating illegal logging will bring environmental and development benefits, ” he said. “With this, we are sending a signal to the world that the EU will no longer serve as a market for illegally harvested timber.”

He added that the new rules would also strengthen the EU’s hand as it seeks to work with developing countries to implement forest governance and protection schemes. Industrialised countries have faced criticism from some developing nations who accuse them of intervening to try and stop rainforest clearance, while failing to tackle the global demand for tropical hardwoods that drives illegal logging.

The timber was cut into woodwind instrument billets at Sandali Wood Industries, Tanga, ahead of importation to the UK by Klicksi Ltd.

On arrival in the UK, the timber is destined for use by Hanson Clarinets, the UK’s largest clarinet manufacturer, who are aiming to launch the world’s first FSC-certified woodwind instrument in early 2011.

Together with the Tanzanian Village Forest Reserves, certified under a FSC group certificate held by Mpingo Conservation & Development Initiative, Hanson Clarinets, Klicksi and Sandali Wood Industries comprise the world’s first chain of custody for African blackwood.

After harvesting in the Tanzanian Village Forest Reserves under FSC environmental and social guidelines, the African blackwood is kept separate from non-FSC timber at all stages of the chain of custody.

The end result will be a musical instrument available for purchase with a 100% environmental and social guarantee.

EU companies will be obliged to carry out “due diligence” on their timber supply chains to ensure that imported timber is legally harvested.

Companies that fail to comply with the regulations will face fines based on the environmental damage caused by the activities.

“Substantial penalties would apply in cases of non-compliance, which could be calculated on the basis of environmental damage caused,” the European Parliament said in a statement.

It is hoped that the new legislation will have a similar impact in the EU as the Lacey Act has had on the timber market in the US, where high-profile companies including Gibson Guitars have face investigation.

MEPs and the European Council have reached a provisional agreement that there should be a “prohibition” on illegal timber in the EU and MEPs will vote on the proposal in July before it is presented to the European Council in the autumn.

Finnish Green MEP, Satu Hassi, said: “I am delighted that the Parliament was able to secure fundamental improvements to the draft regulation on illegally harvested timber.”

The pledge was included in last week’s hastily drafted coalition agreement.

It remains to be seen how the measures will be implemented but such legislation is long overdue in the UK, which until this point has ignored it’s role in placing legal responsibility on wood importers to ensure that timber originates from legal sources.

The current lack of legislation places all legal enforcement responsibility upon producer countries, many of whom have under-resourced forestry and law enforcement departments and suffer from corruption at all levels. In effect, illegal wood becomes legal as soon as it is exported to the UK.

In the US, the Lacey Act is already enforcing responsibility upon wood importers and famous users of timber, including Gibson Guitars, who recently fell foul of the Act after importing illegally harvested Madagascan rosewood.

The EU is currently under-going a review process on similar legislation but it will be 2014 before the measures are implemented, assuming they are ratified by the member countries.

It is not clear at this stage if the Coalition Government’s pledge is tied in with the EU legislation or if the UK will introduce unilateral measures.

Either way, the fact that the issue of the importation of illegal timber is getting high level recognition is a big step in the right direction.

All the major woodwind instrument manufacturers will be exhibiting at the event – Loree, Buffet Crampon, LeBlanc, Marigaux, Selmer, Yamaha – plus numerous of other less famous companies.

Neil Bridgland, Sound & Fair Campaign Manager, says: “This is the one time of the year when all the players in the woodwind industry are together under one roof and accessible.

“We will be presenting the chain of custody objectives of the Sound & Fair campaign to each of the major manufacturers and clearly stating that current timber procurements are undermining both biodiversity and human livelihoods.

“Only by purchasing FSC-certified African blackwood can a company justifiably claim that their products originate from sustainable sources.

“Any companies making such claims, without the kind if independent verification provided by FSC, are operating in a state of denial”.

Klicksi are FSC-certified as members of the Oxford Timber Audits Group Chain of Custody scheme (certificate number: SA-COC-001654 HD).

Klicksi Managing Director, Salim Fazal said: “At Klicksi Limited, we have always believed that as humans, we are the custodians of our environment, natural and social. As we interact with this environment, it is our responsibility to do it in the least harmful possible way.

“As a commercial entity, holding the FSC certificate was a way of ensuring our customers that we have been adhering to a common framework that ensures environmental, social and economic amelioration at the village/harvesting level, cleaner production technology implementation, with strict emphasis on health and safety at the work place.

“It is a guarantee that the product purchased on the market has followed a strict chain of custody.

“Through being a partner of Sound & Fair Campaign we hope to convince the different partners involved, manufacturers and finally end consumers that FSC is the only way forward in a world where natural resources become scarcer and scarcer, to appeal to their conscience as custodians of the environment.

“But above all, we hope to convince them that even on a commercial point of view FSC is still profitable and viable as it does not necessarily entail substantial higher costs of production.”

Klicksi are currently the sole distributors of FSC-certified African blackwood worldwide.

For more information on purchasing FSC-certified African blackwood, please contact:

Salim Fazal – salimfazal@klicksi.com / +44 (0) 7720 294 786

The legislation is titled Due Diligence and details are so far limited.

However, several countries including the UK, Denmark and the Netherlands are pushing for prohibition on the placing of illegal timber on the EU market.

This would imply similar rules as in the US where the Lacey Act came in effect in 2008.

Under the Lacey Act, companies can be fined up to US$500,000 and individuals can face up to five years imprisonment for the importation of illegal timber and timber products.

Recently Gibson Guitars was raided by Federal agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who seized  illegally harvested rosewood from Madagascar, as well as guitars and computers from the Nashville-based company.

Similar EU legislation would be a major boost to campaign to stop illegal timber imports.

The current lack of legislation means that once illegally-harvested timber has left the country of origin and arrived in the EU it is technically legal.

A decision on the precise nature of the Due Diligence legislation is expected in spring 2010.

READ A REPORT ON THE US LACEY ACT (PDF)

Download PDF version of African Blackwood Supply Chain Report

Key Findings

Looking at the source of supply (the forests and the communities managing them), it has been possible to gain a greater understanding of how the economics of the supply chain must impact upon those communities positively (and significantly) if it is going to be feasible long term.

EAT & MCP carried out profit and loss analysis of various scenarios, which enabled us to understand the viability of the trading system for the communities themselves.

A premium on the retail price will be essential, and this will need to be reflected in the profit margin at each stage in the supply chain, which should therefore be kept as short as possible.

The price premium on the more expensive, top end of the oboes and clarinets will yield the biggest benefits for producer communities with proportionally lower mark-ups required than for cheaper instruments.

The research also provided an opportunity to understand what the chain of custody would look like under certification.

MCP will act as a management body overseeing and monitoring individual community forests to ensure that they meet both ecological and social requirements related to forest management, and to ensure they get the best outcomes in terms of economic yield and social development.

The loggers union will work under MCP‟s supervision to ensure adherence to health and safety standards and quality control in the logging process.

Logs are purchased direct from the village by the sawmill – MCP have identified an initial partner sawmill who are keen – and who will have their own chain of custody certificate, as will the appropriate import- export agencies.

Manufacturers will also require a chain of custody certificate, possibly obtained through acooperative buyers‟ group to reduce costs.

Providing the margins are adequate, stakeholders at each stage in the supply chain appear willing to devote resources to this process, stating that “the time is right to do so”.

Our findings indicate that the supply chain is likely to take an absolute minimum of just under two years from village to point of sale (of a musical instrument).

Assuming a first harvest in November 2008, by which time MCP expects to be FSC certified, the first UK instrument sale will be October 2010.

The longest stage in the supply chain is that when the wood is left to dry out (seasoned) by the instrument manufacturer, which can be up to five years.

Download PDF version of African Blackwood Supply Chain Report