Illegal Logging – A Green Attack on the WTO and Developing Countries?
January
29
2007
Illegal logging has become a hot topic in recent years. But how big a
problem is it? And is it possible that some of the frequently proposed
solutions could be worse than the malady itself? On February 9, ECIPE
hosted a seminar to discuss some of the aspects of the topic. Key
speaker was Alan Oxley, a former Ambassador of Australia to the GATT
and Chairman of the GATT General Council. Mr. Oxley, who has studied
the issue of illegal logging for several years, levelled strong
criticism against NGOs like Greenpeace and WWF for trying to heat up
the question and impose harmful regulation on trade in timber.