The State Forest Service states that placing Russian and Belarusian timber and wood products on the European Union market is considered a breach of the EU Timber Regulation requirements. Latvian companies that sell or use timber and wood products imported from the Russian Federation and Belarus in their production must cease imports from these countries. Such a violation may result in a fine for the company, as well as a ban on the right to place timber or wood products on the market.

The State Forest Service, as the competent authority for monitoring the application of EU Timber Regulation requirements in Latvia, draws the attention of Latvian companies to the fact that placing Russian and Belarusian timber and wood products, including furniture, paper, cardboard, and pellets, on the European Union (EU) market is considered a breach of EU Timber Regulation requirements, as this regulation stipulates that only negligible-risk products may be placed on the EU market.

There is a high risk that timber or wood products imported from Russia and Belarus have been obtained or traded illegally. In the current circumstances, with the EU having imposed sanctions in response to the military aggression carried out by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, as well as the Russian Federation's recognition of the non-government-controlled territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine as independent, this risk cannot be mitigated.

Furthermore, products placed on the market in breach of the export ban imposed by the Russian Federation or sanctions applied to imports from Belarus would be considered illegal. Where the risk is negligible, the only timber or wood products that may be placed on the EU market until 4 June this year, in fulfilment of contracts concluded before 2 March 2022, are Belarusian products subject to EU sanctions. These common conclusions were reached by the European Commission and the competent authorities of the Member States responsible for the EU Timber Regulation at a meeting on 16 March 2022.

For breaches of the EU Timber Regulation requirements, the State Forest Service may impose an administrative penalty – a fine of up to 20,000 euros, as well as a ban on the right to place timber or wood products on the market.

More detailed information on the EU Timber Regulation and the current situation regarding the import of timber and wood products from the Russian Federation and Belarus is available on the State Forest Service website www.vmd.gov.lv under the section 'ES Kokmateriālu regula'.

To ensure that legality verification systems and checks carried out by market operators are always up to date and comply with the requirements of the EU Timber Regulation, market operators have an obligation to stay informed about the latest sanctions, export bans, the positions of the European Commission and supervisory authorities, and other factors, seeking assistance from the State Forest Service and other state institutions when necessary.