Federal Forest Office

Illegal logging and trade of timber has devastating effects on the world's forests. The EU has therefore taken action against illegally logged timber by adopting the FLEGT Regulation and the EU Timber Regulation. With regard to both regulations, the Federal Forest Office is Competent Authority and thus carries out checks on timber products imported from third countries or traded from other EU Member States. It is also responsible for checks on FLEGT licences.

A strict import regime of timber, plants and plant products in line with the new EU plant health regulations is essential to avoid the introduction and spread of harmful organisms.

The Federal Forest Office is responsible for phytosanitary import controls of wood (including wood packing material), forest plants and forest reproductive material. This responsibility is laid down by the Federal Plant Protection Act of Austria and the BFW Act.

In order to be able to preserve genetic biodiversity and properties desired in forestry, it is essential to secure the identity of forest reproductive material marketed at the national and international level. The Act of Forest Reproductive Material and the Regulation of Forest Reproductive Material covering the marketing of forest reproductive material in Austria came into force on 1^st January 2003; they are based on the Council Directive 1999/105/EC.