European Union Accused as Discriminative towards Indonesian Timber Products
Wednesday, 22 November, 2006 | 16:52 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Forestry Department is urging European Union countries not to be discriminative over Indonesian timber products.

Boen M Purnama, Secretary General of the Department of Forestry, said that intensive efforts to eradicate illegal logging in Indonesia has made European Union performs excessive in terms of checking on Indonesian timber products.

In fact, this treatment is not being applied to similar products from other countries.

“We hope that European Union is not discriminative. Products from other countries should be checked as well,” said Boen yesterday (11/21).

He explained that Indonesia has actually set out several measures as regards forest management.

These measures include timber products certifying; timber legalization; and improving log trafficking.

According to him, the European Union as the largest export market for Indonesian timber products and should provide fair incentives for the government's efforts.

These incentives could include giving premium prices for already certified Indonesian timber products.

Jean Breteche, the Senior of European Union Representative for Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam and Timor Leste, said he promised to impose sanction on European Union timber companies that receive illegal timber products.

“We will impose financial sanctions and import bans,” he said, adding that the sanctions were still being discussed with Indonesia.

Hapsoro, a Forest Campaigner from South-East Asian Greenpeace, said that the European Union’s tightly checking Indonesian timber products was not discrimination.

“It is only the effect of the political statement of the previous administartion,” he said.

He explained that former Forestry Minister Muhammad Prakosa had once banned European Union companies from buying Indonesian illegal timber.

“Perhaps, it was this that has made them act in this way,” he said.

EWO RASWA