Kinnock unsure if headquarters’ timber is ‘legal’

By Martin Banks

Date: 14/10/04

THE European Commission admits that it cannot "unequivocally" say whether illegally-logged wood has been used in the refurbishment of its new house, the Berlaymont.

It follows claims by the environmental group Greenpeace that Indonesian plywood supplied by companies known to log in animal reserves had been used in the renovation of the Commission HQ.

Greenpeace described the whole Berlaymont site a "forest crime scene".

In a written question to the Commission, UK MEP Chris Huhne asked the executive to confirm that such timber had been used and, if so, why.

Huhne, a member of the Alliance of the Liberals and Democrats for Europe group, also challenged the Commission to "lead by example" by giving an assurance that it will not support the use of illegally-logged wood in the construction of future EU institutions.

In his reply, outgoing Commission vice-president Neil Kinnock said it had been an "explicit" requirement that timber for the job came from "sustainably managed forests".

He said that the Commission was currently examining the compliance with these requirements. But, he added, the results "will not be available before the end of 2004".

The Commission is not, at present, "in a position to state unequivocally whether any illegally logged wood has been used in any part of the renovation work", Kinnock admitted.

The European Commission said that it cannot 'unequivocally' say whether illegally-logged wood has been used in the refurbishment of its new house, the Berlaymont.