WWF Austria accuses four Austrian parquet manufacturers of importing illegally harvested timber from the Ukraine. The WWF relies on a report from the search platform “Addendum”, which allegedly found traces back to two Ukrainian suppliers.
The allegations are directed against Weitzer, Scheucher, Admonter and Parador. Over a period of 18 months, according to the report, 436 truckloads from Ukraine worth $ 35.9 million were delivered to the four parquet manufacturers.
Ukraine is known as a high-risk country, with large proportion of logging being illegal, while the EUTR controls in Austria are insufficient, according to the WWF. The environmental organization therefore calls on the Austrian Ministry of the Environment and its competent authorities to significantly tighten both controls and sanctions.