Complying with Australia's illegal logging laws: tough reality after a soft start? Lessons from the United States and the European Union

Australia's new illegal logging laws aim at prohibiting the import of illegally harvested forest products from around the world. Soon after adoption, and following an intense debate on the expected costs of compliance, the legislation was reviewed and the proposed amendments finally disallowed. As of 2018 stricter enforcement actions were announced. This article identifies compliance issues observed in Australia and proposes ways to tackle them based on experiences in the United States and the European Union. We find that law enforcement helps shape market behaviour and reinforces compliance. A national legality assurance system, established in the supplier country, is an effective way to ensure legality verification, to alleviate the burden on individual businesses to prove legality, and to support the regulated community to comply with the law.