How to assess the FrenchPublic Procurement Policy

on Timber and Wood Products ?

Illegal logging Update and Stakeholder Consultation

RIIAChatham House

London

July 20-21th 2006

Caroline MERLE

Véronique JOUCLA

Department of Forest and Timber

Headlines

I. Background: the French PPP on timber products

II. How to insure traceability?

III. How to measure impacts?

IV. Conclusion - Future options

I. The French PPP on timber products

Public procurement 1/4 French consumption of tropical timber

France is amongst the top countries in the E.U for importing tropical timber (mainly from Africa)

April 7th 2004 : Governmental Action Plan in favour of tropical forests :

Project of a PM’s advice note (« circulaire ») to public buyers :

Objectives : 50 % in 2007 and 100 % in 2010 of timber and wood products purchased by public buyers should come from legal sources & sustainably managed forests.

April 5th 2005 : approval of the advice note by the PM (published April 8th 2005 in the Official journal)

I. The French PPP on timber products

Legal scope :

mandatory for State buyers

recommended to local authorities

no distinctions are made between tropical and non

tropical products

2 categories of products, related to 2 types of uses

(building and equipment: furniture, paper…)

I. The French PPP on timber products

Step by step approach :

starting point = 0 (no previous regulation)

Reference to existing tools : sustainable forest

management schemes, eco-labels on wood products

integrating sustainable forest management criteria, legality

certificates verified by independent and reliable bodies

I. The French PPP on timber products

Elements needed to assess the PPP

1. Insure traceability of « verified » timber

products

2. Gather data on public purchases of timber

products

II. How to insure traceability

Traceability:

Assumed for SFM certified wood

May not exist for other legality / sustainability evidences

option 1: rely on private CoC and assess

the legality / sustainability at the end of the

chain (purchaser responsibility)

option 2 : make use of existing custom

documents to qualify legal / sustainable

products when entering the EU/MS market

II. How to insure traceability

Traceability - Validation of legality / sustainability:

possible role of public / private actors

Public purchase

EU border

C o CTender

Compliance with the PPP

certificates

?

Customs

UAD ?

EGD ?

II. How to insure traceability

Difficulties:

option 1: expertise at tender and purchaser level

option 2 :

UAD : Unique administrative document (entering EU market) or EGD (within EU market) would need to be modified review of EU legal provisions on customs

Custom officers would need expertise on proofs of legality / sustainibility

EGD only for exchanges > 150.000 €/ year

Require to check all the entering wood even if it won’t be use in public market

Introduce distortion between national and imported timber products

III. Data on public purchases

In France, data are systematically registered only for markets > 236 000 € Even these data are not easily available in a workable format It’s difficult to identify which contracts may include timber (e.g. contract aims to build a bridge, a school…) The French PPP does not require from the public institutions to elaborate annual planning of their timber purchases, nor to report on these purchases

only possibility at the moment : sampling

III. Data on public purchases

1. No official decision at time being (study phase)

2. Sampling might be the easiest way to have quick

indicative results

3. Regarding permanent / long term monitoring of

the PPP impacts and facilitation of its

implementation, may be an interesting option to

create a national reference centre. This centre

could integrate the national structure following

public markets.

III. Data on public purchases

The national reference centre could act at different stages:

• As a technical adviser to formulate the calls for

proposals

• As an official approval body to evaluate the proofs of

legality / sustainability provided by the tenders (on the

basis of the technical annex).

• As a data centre: it could register the opinion

expressed on the proposals and cross it with the

results of the calls

These are ideas to discuss !

Thank you for your attention

Véronique JOUCLATechnical adviser on sustainable development

Caroline MERLE

Technical adviser on International and EU forest affairs

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries

Directory General of Forest and Rural affairs

Sub-directory of Forest and Timber

Paris - FRANCE

+33.1.49.55.51.77

veronique.joucla@agriculture.gouv.fr

+33.1.49.55.52.70

caroline.merle@agriculture.gouv.fr