The European Parliament is this week set to vote through new regulations that will ban the import of timber obtained through the illegal logging of tropical forests.

The Parliament will debate the new directive late this afternoon and is then expected to vote in favour of the proposed regulations tomorrow.

The European Council, which signaled last month that it would support the proposed new rules, is then expected to rubber stamp the legislation in September.

The new rules will aim close a loophole that has made it possible for European firms to import and sell timber that has been logged illegally in countries such as Brazil and Indonesia.

The trade is estimated to be worth up to £700m a year and according to figures from WWF up to 20 per cent of wood imports to the EU came from illegal sources in 2006. The green group also argued that the practice depresses global timber prices by up to 16 per cent.

The UK has supported calls for a ban on the import of illegal timber and recently-appointed Environment Secretary Caroline Spellman last month welcomed the European Council's decision to endorse the proposed regulations.

To read full story, visit http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jul/06/european-illegal-timber-ban