GREENPEACE PROTESTS LAPEYRE'S ROLE IN AMAZON DESTRUCTION

28 April 2000

AMSTERDAM -- Greenpeace activists in France, Belgium, Spain and Switzerland protested against the French home-improvement store, Lapeyre, after the company neglected to fulfil a commitment to its consumers to label tropical timber products coming from the world's remaining ancient forests with information on botanical name and country of origin. Activists displayed banners and attached labels reading "This product comes from Amazon destruction" to examples of wood products coming from the ancient forests.

Lapeyre manufactures timber doors, windows, staircases and flooring for sale at the company's retail outlets across Europe. The company owns 114 outlets in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain and the French Caribbean. Lapeyre is also the owner of Eldorado, a major Timber-export company located in Para State in the Brazilian Amazon. Greenpeace research revealed that almost half of the companies supplying timber to Eldorado in 1998-99 were fined by the Brazilian government for the illegal exploitation, transport and storage of logs. Some companies were not even registered with IBAMA, the Brazilian environmental agency.

"Only 20% of the world's original ancient forests remains pristine. Illegal and destructive logging practices are now the single largest threat to what remains," said Phil Aikman, Greenpeace International Forest Campaigner. "It is totally unacceptable for Lapeyre to continue buying Amazon destruction, knowing that their own timber suppliers have been fined for illegalities."

Lapeyre is purchasing products coming not only from the Amazon; Greenpeace found a wide range of products made from other ancient forest timbers. Much of the merchandise sold in Lapeyre stores also comes from the ancient forests of Cameroon, Gabon, South-East Asia and British Columbia.

In April 1999, Lapeyre publicly committed to inform its customers about the timber species and it's origin used in all solid wood products by January 2000. So far, Lapeyre has not honoured this commitment. Over the last months, Greenpeace has repeatedly expressed its concerns to the management of Lapeyre, but until now the company has not taken active measurements to address this issue.

Greenpeace urges Lapeyre to immediately inform its customers about the timber species and origin used in their products. Lapeyre must stop all trade with logging companies and timber traders involved in illegal and destructive activities. "Lapeyre must gradually phase out all timber use which comes from ancient forest destruction. The use of timber from ancient forest regions is only acceptable if suppliers can prove via independent certification such as FSC (1) that the timber does not come from ancient forest destruction," added Aikman.

Greenpeace is currently carrying out a tour through the Amazon with the Amazon Guardian, a recent addition the organisation's fleet. Together with local scientists, activists and other NGOs Greenpeace has visited local communities and is documenting the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

- Gina Sanchez, Greenpeace International, +31 20 524 9547
- Ludovic Frere, Greenpeace France, +33 672 04913
- Christoph Wiedmar, Greenpeace Switzerland, +41 796790124
- Mario Rodriguez, Greenpeace Spain, +34 626998247
- Filip Verbelen, Greenpeace Belgium, +32 496161586

(1) FSC-The Forest Stewardship Council, is an international, non-profit, non-governmental organisation that promotes independent, third party certification of well-managed forests and the labelling of products from such forests for use by forest product consumers. It was founded in 1993 by over 100 representatives spanning environmental, social and economic interests from around the world, with the goal of promoting a common international set of basic principles and criteria for judging and certifying well-managed forests.

The FSC accredits certification bodies to conduct forest audits. Forest certification audits are based on the Forest Stewardship Councils globally recognised 10 Principles and 56 criteria for forest stewardship.