Press release

Poland urged to block illegal imports of Myanmar ‘blood timber’

12 February 2025

Lawyers are urging Polish authorities to take immediate action to halt imports of Myanmar teak, which violate EU laws and support the brutal military regime in the country.

Lawyers at ClientEarth say that despite clear regulations, the Polish authorities are not taking sufficient action to control imports and enforce bans on the wood.  

Trade in Myanmar teak destroys its forests and financially supports the military junta, which is responsible for human rights violations and crimes against civilians. Importing this timber violates the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which aims to eliminate illegally sourced timber from the EU market. It also infringes EU trade sanctions, introduced following the military coup in 2021.

According to the data from Poland’s Central Statistical Office, between 2021 and 2024, the total value of Myanmar’s wood and wood products imported to Poland was over EUR 11 million (PLN 47 million).

"Illegal timber reaches Poland and the EU without any real obstacles. The lack of adequate action violates the public interest, contributes to deforestation and supports a brutal regime," says Ranja Łuszczek. ClientEarth lawyer.

Teak from Myanmar is one of the most valuable types of wood in the world. It is extremely durable, resistant to water and insects, and is used in the production of luxury furniture and yachts.

Poland is not the only importer of Myanmar teak in Europe: Italy, Slovenia and Croatia also import significant volumes of the wood.

Myanmar’s forests provide a habitat for a vast array of animals including protected species, and are also home to numerous forest communities and Indigenous People – an estimated 17 million people. But Myanmar’s forests are being destroyed at a worrying rate - an area larger than the size of Switzerland was lost between 2001-2023. If this trend continues, Myanmar’s forests could have disappeared by 2035.

ClientEarth is appealing to Poland’s Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection to immediately carry out inspections of timber importers from Myanmar and to enforce penalties for companies violating the law. It also requests increased transparency in the monitoring of timber supply chains and better implementation of EU regulations in Poland. 

"The EUTR rules are a key tool in the fight against the trade in illegal timber, but they need to be implemented effectively. Poland has a legal and moral duty to act." – adds Ranja Łuszczek. "We urge the authorities to take immediate action against Polish importers of ‘blood timber’ from Myanmar and to punish companies that violate the regulations accordingly."   

ENDS

Notes to editors:

  • In 2023, ClientEarth filed a complaint with the European Commission, pointing to problems in the implementation of the EU regulation on legal trade in timber (EUTR) in Poland.  The complaint refers to unclear regulations, lack of effective supervision by the Inspectorate of Environmental Protection (EPI), rarely imposed penalties and favouring unfair competition. ClientEarth is waiting for a response from the European Commission, which will decide on the legitimacy of legal action against the Polish government regarding the control of the timber market. 

  • According to Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, between June 2021 and December 2023 the EU imported more than €34 million worth of timber directly from Myanmar.

  • The European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR) aims to counter illegal logging and associated trade in timber and timber products in the member states of the European Union.

  • The new European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) – applicable from 30 December 2025 for large and medium companies and 30 June 2026 for micro and small enterprises – will go further than the EUTR, with stronger rules, incorporating more commodities and including stricter penalties. Member States will have to adjust their legal and enforcement systems accordingly. 

  • In 2020, the European Commission and the EU Member States officially concluded that any import of Myanmar teak to the EU violates the EUTR – a position that has been consistently reaffirmed since 2017.

  • Following the military coup on 1 February 2021, the EU Council has introduced restrictive measures against Myanmar Teak Enterprise – a state-owned forestry monopoly responsible for the harvesting and export of teak.

About ClientEarth

ClientEarth is a non-profit organisation that uses the law to create systemic change that protects the Earth for – and with – its inhabitants. We are tackling climate change, protecting nature and stopping pollution, with partners and citizens around the globe. We hold industry and governments to account, and defend everyone’s right to a healthy world. From our offices in Europe, Asia and the USA we shape, implement and enforce the law, to build a future for our planet in which people and nature can thrive together.