Notable Cases and Useful Documents
There is no CJEU case law on the EUTR or the EUDR. However, some interesting national cases have been reported by the media. For example, in 2015, the WWF filed a complaint at the Federal Forest Office in Vienna against Austrian company Holzindustrie Schweighofer for alleged violations of the EUTR.
INTERPOL has organised several operations tackling illegal trade and forestry crime:
Operation Thunder (2021)
Operation Thunder 2021 was a global operation against wildlife and timber crime jointly organised with the World Customs Organization (WCO). It involved customs, police, financial intelligence units and wildlife and forestry enforcement agencies in 118 countries.
It resulted in worldwide arrests and investigations linked to the illegal trading, processing, exporting and importing of CITES-listed wildlife and forestry products. Although the majority of top seizure numbers related to wildlife products, headline figures for timber seizures were notable as well. The largest seizure in this respect was for 75 320 kg of timber, including 313 m³ of rosewood.
INTERPOL, in collaboration with the WCO, identified some 300 suspects, along with emerging trends and trafficking routes.
Operation Amazonas IV (2018)
Building on all of the previous Amazonas operations, INTERPOL planned Operation Amazonas IV as an intensive intelligence-led operation. The aim was to identify and dismantle international criminal networks involved in the illegal trade of timber from Central and South America. It resulted in the seizure of close to 12 000m³ of timber and the arrest of 209 individuals.
Operation Amazonas III (2017)
Operation Amazonas III was a country-led enforcement operation tackling illegal logging and forestry crimes with specialised units from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. One of its main objectives was to continue transnational investigations of prior and present cases related to illegal logging and illegal timber trade. It resulted in an estimated seizure of 12 000 m³ with an estimated value of USD 10 million. 142 individuals were arrested and several INTERPOL notices were issued.
Operation LEAD (2017)
Operation LEAD was a country-led law enforcement operation, targeting forestry and associated crimes in the Mekong region. It involved Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. INTERPOL played a leadership role in enabling multi-agency collaboration and systematic intelligence sharing between agencies.
As part of this Operation, INTERPOL also provided support in terms of criminal analysis d to member countries. Participating countries reported close to 700 cases of forestry crime, which resulted in the seizure of an estimated 4 737m³ of illegal timber and the arrest of 242 individuals. An INTERPOL Purple Notice was also issued as a result of the operation.
Several EU publications may help in implementing the EUTR or the new EUDR regulative framework:
- Frequently Asked Questions on the EUDR
- Factsheet on the Commission proposal for a Regulation
- EU Deforestation Regulation: an opportunity for smallholders
- Briefing notes on developments relevant to the implementation and enforcement of the EU Timber Regulation, and on sourcing of deforestation-free commodities.
Other related documents which might be helpful:
- Global Forestry Enforcement Prospectus (INTERPOL)
- Forestry Crime (INTERPOL)