Between March and May 2021, Italian firms imported more than 4.31 million euros (5.09 million US dollars) worth of timber from Myanmar, according to a report by the UK-based watchdog Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).

Small fines for timber importers and insufficient oversight are turning Italy into a "hotspot" for the flow of Myanmar timber into Europe.

The authors of the report have identified 27 Italian companies that have imported Burmese teak, in defiance of EU sanctions and regulations against the timber trade from this Southeast Asian country.