Our approach to due diligence combines knowledge and experience assessing forest certification schemes with detailed knowledge of the requirements of timber regulations and the global timber industry.

Our services include:

• Supporting your organisation to gather information about product sources and species
• Draw on our links with global forest certification bodies and NGOs to gather information about applicable legislation in the country where your timber has harvested
• Provide risk assessment frameworks for analysing general and specific risks associated with your timber products
• Support the development of robust risk mitigation procedures
• Providing additional intelligence about wider issues associated with legality in the global timber trade

We have worked with organisations across Europe, Africa and Asia to develop and implement due diligence systems. We have created due diligence systems for Monitoring Organisations, which have received approval from the European Commission.

The European Union Timber Regulation (No 995/2010) lays down the legal obligations for organisations that place timber and timber products on the market for the first time.

The regulation prohibits the supply of illegally harvested timber or products derived from such timber, to the EU market. It requires organisations that place timber products on the EU market for the first time to exercise due diligence.

Due diligence is defined as the process of:

• Gathering information about the product and its source
• Assessing general and specific risks
• Mitigating any identified risk.

Venture Plus can provide a complete due diligence package to your organisation to facilitate compliance with the Timber Regulation. We can support your organisation in adhering to the requirements of the Timber Regulation and guide you in implementing best practice standards.