26 Nature Check: International responsibilities
wildlife crime. Above all, the wildlife capacity of the NCA should be additional to the NWCU.
We will introduce measures to make the import or possession of illegal timber a criminal offence. If the Government passes legislation to fulfil this commitment it would make the introduction of illegally logged timber products to the market and the possession of illegal timber throughout the supply chain a criminal offence. EU timber regulations have now been approved that prohibit the sale of timber logged illegally, and these will come into force in 2013. This means that the Government is required to procure timber and wood-derived products originating from either legal, sustainable or Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade-licensed or equivalent sources. But if these regulations are transposed as they stand into UK law, i.e. without improvements to include possession or any requirement to track imports back to source, this could effectively create a loophole in the system.