Following an investigation into Myanmar Teak arriving in the EU, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) submitted a complaint in five countries noting that some importers were not fulfilling the terms of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR).
According to Barber Cho, secretary of Myanmar Forest Certification Council (MFCC), representatives from one of the companies named in the EIA investigation sought and were granted permission to examine harvesting controls in Myanmar. The MFCC was told by the Forestry Department (FD) and the Myanma Timber Enterprise (MTE) that the proposed study tour was cancelled by the company when the logging suspension was announced.
Mr. Cho asserts that both FD and MTE are moving in the right direction to verify the legality of Myanmar’s timber and the EIA should do more on Teak shipments (to the EU) from China and other countries where Myanmar Teak is reprocessed for export.
Source: ITTO
