NL: Malaysian timber temporarily permitted in governmental purchasing policy

The Dutch State Secretary of Infrastructure and Environment Mansveld has announced that as of 2 June 2014 the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) will temporarily be accepted in the governmental purchase policy. Within the next two years Malaysia must make sure that MTCS meets the sustainability requirements set by the Netherlands. If this is not the case, then the acceptance will be cancelled. According to Mansveld the temporary acceptance will encourage Malaysia more to meet the requirements than continual exclusion.
The requirements include protecting forests from conversion to other land uses (Press Release Government of the Netherlands, 2 June 2014).
Click here for the press release (in Dutch).

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