Companies caught doing so can face stock seizures, fines and criminal prosecution.
To minimise the risk of products from illegally harvested sources entering the supply chain, the EUTR requires all companies placing timber products on to the European market to have a comprehensive and robust due diligence system in place.
Through this system, first placers of timber or timber products must now, by law, collect information about the products and supply chains that they come through, assess the risk of illegally harvested timber being present and take appropriate mitigating actions if any risks are identified.