Updates from DAFF

• Supporting trade in legally harvested products
• Information for exporters—European Union Deforestation Regulation

International news

• New Zealand's Legal Harvest Assurance System
• China and Europe birch wood panels under the microscope

In other news

• Forest Stewardship Council webinar recording—Navigating Compliance with Australia's Illegal Logging Prohibition Laws
• Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) webinar recording— European Union Deforestation Regulation
• Have your Say—future e-update topics

Updates from DAFF

Supporting trade in legally harvested products - CSGs and SSGs

We continue to engage with international and domestic counterparts to support markets for legally harvested timber. One way we do this is through the review and endorsement of Country Specific Guidelines (CSGs) and State Specific Guidelines (SSGs).

CSGs and SSGs are documents that have been developed and co-endorsed by the Australian Government with relevant partner governments. They help importers and processors to understand the legal frameworks used by other countries and Australian states that regulate timber harvesting. They may also set out some of the documents that you need to gather for due diligence.

Detailed information on the interactions between CSGs and SSGs and due diligence requirements is available on our website for importers (CSGs) and processors (SSGs).

CSGs and SSGs endorsed and listed for use under Australia's illegal logging laws are featured on these pages of our website. These webpages are updated as new CSGs and SSGs are finalised and given effect under legislation, and as outdated and superseded ones are removed. Only those CSGs and SSGs available on the webpage and given effect in the Regulation at the time of conducting your due diligence may be used when conducting a risk assessment.

We encourage you to complete our future topics survey or email IllegalLogging@aff.gov.au to suggest new countries to cover with CSGs or highlight needed updates to CSGs or SSGs.

European Union Deforestation Regulation

In 2023, the European Union (EU) introduced regulation aimed at restricting trade in products that are not 'deforestation-free' or 'degradation-free' according to the EU's definitions. From 30 December 2024, the new deforestation regulation (EUDR) will require entities placing and making certain products available on the EU market—including cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya, and wood—to meet certain conditions relating to the land on which they were produced. European importers and traders need to ensure the land has not been subject to deforestation or forest degradation since 31 December 2020.

We are engaging with stakeholders to understand their concerns with the EUDR requirements, and will raise appropriate matters with the EU to seek clarification. We have published an Industry Advice Notice providing an overview of the EUDR and the potential impact on Australian producers and exporters of affected commodities. As the EUDR is European legislation, questions on its implementation and interpretation are ultimately for the EU to clarify.

In relation to timber production and exports, it is important to note that the EUDR does not differentiate between different forest types when defining what constitutes deforestation. The regulation does not restrict export of timber from Australian native forests to the EU if the production has met certain conditions.

Further information on the regulation can be found on our website. You can provide any views or raise any questions on EUDR directly with the department via europe.tmad@aff.gov.au.

International News

New Zealand's new legal harvest system

The New Zealand Government is introducing a new legal harvest assurance system into law through the Forests (Legal Harvest Assurance) Amendment Act 2023. Under the legal harvest system, forest owners or those responsible for the harvest will need to provide legal harvest information to the log buyer.

For more information on what is proposed, including the first issues paper, and updates on the consultation process, visit the NZ Ministry Primary Industries website.

Launch of new Transaction Verification (TV) Loop

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Assurance Services International (ASI) announced the launch of a new TV loop for birch wood panels across the broader Eurasian area.

The TV loop is a verification process based on the FSC chain of custody standard that aims to detect and address any false claims or breaches of FSC requirements.

In other news

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) webinar recording

Earlier this year the FSC facilitated a webinar titled 'Navigating Compliance with Australia's Illegal Logging Prohibition Laws' in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) Global Services.

Tailored to importers and processors sourcing FSC-certified materials, the webinar provided information on how you can use FSC certification to assist with compliance with Australia's laws.

Visit FSC's website for a recap of the webinar and the access the webinar recording.

Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) webinar recording

In June 2024 PEFC hosted a webinar titled 'On the path to EUDR alignment'. It provided an update on their advances in aligning sustainable forest management and chain of custody standards with EUDR requirements, as well as looking at the data and integrity elements.

Visit PEFC's website to access the webinar recording.

Take our Survey—future e-update topics

Thank you to those who completed this survey since it launched in May.

The survey remains open to provide more subscribers the opportunity to influence the topics we cover in future e-updates.

We have designed this survey with topical matters in mind, and invite you to share which of these may be most relevant to your interests and business needs by completing the short questionnaire.