Brussels, 26/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - Although the European Parliament welcomes the conclusion of the 2006 ITTA (International Tropical Timber Agreement), an overwhelming majority of the House considered on Wednesday 24 September that the outcome falls far short of what is required to address the loss of tropical forest and to overcome its consequences with regard to climate change and also biodiversity. In a resolution adopted by 616 votes to 9 and 10 abstentions, MEPs call on the Commission and member states to: - considerably step up financial resources for conservation and more environmentally-friendly exploitation of the tropical forests; - support initiatives aimed at strengthening governance and capacity in the environmental field; - and encourage economically viable alternatives likely to replace forestry exploitation, mining and destructive farm practices. They also consider that public procurement policies should require timber and timber products to be derived from legal and sustainable sources, and that there should be labelling initiatives enabling consumers to be confident that timber sold is not merely legal but originates from sustainably-managed forests as potentially useful supplements to international agreements. This, however, would be on condition that labels are verified by independent bodies. The Parliament also stresses that the proposed trade agreement with the countries of South East Asia should be of particular importance and that any agreement should contain a meaningful sustainable development chapter which addresses the issues of forest preservation and the fight against illegal and unsustainable logging. Finally, the resolution stresses that the agreement required Parliament's assent and considers that the Council and Commission should welcome the extra legitimacy and public acceptance that would arise from a more marked involvement of parliamentary authority. In a press release published on Wednesday, Caroline Lucas (Greens/EFA, UK) welcomes the announcement made by the European Commission the previous day of its intention to present, on 15 October, legislative proposals to combat logging. (O.L./transl.jl)