Illegal import of Russian timber: Eight EU countries plot to weaken European law on deforestation
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Countries under sanctions from Brussels, such as Russia, benefit from highly efficient smuggling routes. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg. Getty Images)
It's a lucrative market organized in the shadows. In Europe, illegal timber imports are a gold mine for its traffickers, who do not hesitate to deforest entire swathes of forests to supply the Old Continent. In 2023, illegal logging represented between 15 and 30% of the timber traded in the world and brought in up to 152 billion dollars per year, estimated the environmental association Canopée . A disastrous business
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