Coalition on
Sustainable Timber
MISSION
The Coalition on Sustainable Timber was formed in 2023 with the aim to bring together key stakeholders to collaborate on developing strategies, policies, and initiatives that support the development of favorable legislation to timber trade, promote a sound and proportionate implementation of legislation and support compliance.
EU Legislation on Deforestation-free products
In May 2023, the European Union adopted the Regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR), replacing the EU Timber Regulation. The regulation aims to reduce global deforestation and forest degradation by ensuring that products placed on the EU market are not linked to deforestation and are produced in accordance with the laws of the country of origin. Timber and timber-related products are among the commodities covered by the regulation.
The EUDR introduces mandatory due diligence requirements, including the collection of geolocation data for production plots and risk assessments to verify that products are deforestation-free before entering the EU market.
Following implementation concerns raised by stakeholders, the EU adopted amendments postponing the application of the regulation. The EUDR is now expected to apply from 30 December 2026 for most operators, with micro and small enterprises benefiting from a longer transition period until 30 June 2027.
Further technical elements, including guidance documents and the EU information system for due-diligence submissions, continue to be developed.
To read more, click here.
Our Position
The Coalition on Sustainable Timber (CST) was established to advocate for a sound and proportionate implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) while supporting companies and exporting countries in complying with its requirements. The Coalition supports the European Union’s efforts to simplify the regulation’s application, provided that simplification measures maintain high standards of sustainable forest management and environmental protection.
In its position paper, the Coalition highlights several practical measures that could improve the workability of the EUDR. First, it calls for the recognition of credible third-party certification schemes as part of the due-diligence process. Where existing national or international certification systems already provide robust verification of legality, traceability and sustainable forest management, these should be taken into account to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens for operators.
The Coalition also stresses the need for practical tools to support species identification in timber products, proposing the development of EU-recognised laboratory or independent testing systems capable of verifying both timber species and origin. In addition, the position paper highlights the compliance challenges associated with composite wood products containing multiple timber components from different sources, calling for clearer and more proportionate rules to ensure that due-diligence obligations remain feasible for operators.
Finally, the Coalition underlines the importance of a transparent and inclusive approach to the upcoming country benchmarking system, which will rely on the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) 2025. CST encourages the European Commission to engage closely with governments, industry stakeholders and third-country exporters to ensure that simplification measures support both effective EUDR implementation and continued progress in the fight against global deforestation.
Our
Members
Bolivia's Forestry Chamber
Brazilian Association of
the Mechanically Processed Wood Industry
Ecuadorian Association of the Forestry and Timber Industry
Kumasi Cluster Wood Association (Ghana)
Forest Industries Association of Ghana
Indonesian Wood Panel Association
Paraguayan Federation of Woodworkers
Peruvian Exporters Association
Malaysian Timber Association
