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Summaries of EU Legislation

Voluntary partnership agreements on forest law enforcement, governance and trade

SUMMARY OF:

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Côte d’Ivoire on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived products (FLEGT)

Decision (EU) 2024/1412 on the signing of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Côte d’Ivoire on FLEGT

Decision (EU) 2024/1413 on the conclusion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Côte d’Ivoire on FLEGT

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Guyana on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products

Decision (EU) 2022/1974 on the signing of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Guyana on FLEGT

Decision (EU) 2023/904 on the conclusion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Guyana on FLEGT

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Honduras on FLEGT

Decision (EU) 2020/2185 on the signing of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Honduras on FLEGT

Decision (EU) 2021/964 on the conclusion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Honduras on FLEGT

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Vietnam on FLEGT

Decision (EU) 2018/1528 on the signing of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Vietnam on FLEGT

Decision (EU) 2019/854 on the conclusion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Vietnam on FLEGT

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Indonesia on FLEGT

Decision 2013/486/EU on the signing of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Indonesia on FLEGT

Decision 2014/284/EU on the conclusion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Indonesia on FLEGT

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Liberia on FLEGT

Decision 2011/475/EU on the signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Liberia on FLEGT

Decision 2012/373/EU on the conclusion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Liberia on FLEGT

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Central African Republic on FLEGT

Decision 2011/790/EU on the signing of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Central African Republic on FLEGT

Decision 2012/374/EU on the conclusion of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Central African Republic on FLEGT

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Cameroon on FLEGT

Decision 2011/200/EU on the signing of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Cameroon on FLEGT

Decision 2011/201/EU on the conclusion of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Cameroon on FLEGT

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Congo on FLEGT

Decision 2010/615/EU on the signing of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Congo on FLEGT

Decision 2011/202/EU on the conclusion of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Congo on FLEGT

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Community and Ghana on FLEGT

Decision 2010/151/EC on the signing and conclusion of a voluntary partnership agreement between the European Community and Ghana on FLEGT

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE AGREEMENTS AND THE DECISIONS?

  • The agreements aim to ensure that timber and timber products imported from the countries with whom the European Union (EU) has a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) are legally produced.
  • The decisions mark the signing and the conclusion of the agreements on behalf of the EU.

KEY POINTS

Timber legality assurance systems

  • Countries entering into a VPA with the EU are required to set up and implement a timber legality assurance system (TLAS).
  • A TLAS verifies that timber and timber products have been legally produced.
  • Only verified shipments are exported to the EU, covered by a forest law enforcement, governance and trade (FLEGT) licence.
  • The system must include compliance checks and procedures to ensure that timber of illegal or unknown origin does not enter the supply chain.
  • An independent evaluation will assess the implementation, effectiveness and credibility of the TLAS and the FLEGT licensing scheme.
  • The product scope of the FLEGT licensing scheme covers a core list of mandatory products, as listed under Annex II to the FLEGT regulation, as well as additional country-specific products to be listed in Annex III (in line with the product scope agreed in the relevant VPA).

Forest law enforcement, governance and trade

  • The agreements envisage setting up FLEGT licensing schemes, once both parties to the agreement conclude on the basis of a joint assessment of operational readiness whether the TLAS underpinning the licensing scheme adequately fulfils its functions.
  • They also set out the procedures and requirements to check and, in the case of exports to the EU, attest, by means of FLEGT licences, that timber products shipped to the EU have been legally produced. FLEGT licences were set up by Regulation (EC) No 2173/2005 (see summary).
  • Once the FLEGT licensing scheme has entered into force for timber and timber products covered by the agreement, the EU will only accept timber shipments from the country concerned that are covered by valid FLEGT licences. Timber with a valid FLEGT licence will be considered legally harvested within the meaning of the EU timber regulation, Regulation (EU) No 995/2010, (see summary). Operators importing FLEGT licensed timber will thus not have to carry out due diligence under that regulation.

Licensing authority

  • The exporting country must appoint a licensing authority (LA).
  • The LA verifies that timber products have been legally produced and issues FLEGT licences for shipments of such products to the EU.
  • It will not issue FLEGT licences for:
    • any shipment of timber products that has not been legally produced under its country’s laws as specified in the agreement; or
    • in the case of imported timber, timber products that have not been harvested, produced or exported in accordance with the law of the country of harvest and the country of production.
  • The procedure for issuing FLEGT licences must be publicly accessible and records must be kept of all shipments covered by such licences.

Receiving and verifying FLEGT licences

  • The FLEGT competent authority of the EU Member State concerned must check that each shipment is covered by a valid FLEGT licence before releasing it for free circulation in the EU.
  • This release can be suspended and the shipment held if there are doubts regarding the validity of the licence.

Irregularities

Each party must inform the other if they suspect or have evidence of irregularities in the licensing scheme or any attempt to circumvent it, including:

  • trade being redirected from the exporting country concerned to the EU via a non-EU country with the intention of avoiding licensing;
  • FLEGT licences covering timber products which contain timber from non-EU countries that is suspected of being illegally produced;
  • fraud in obtaining or using FLEGT licences.

DATE OF ENTRY INTO FORCE

Country Date of entry into force of agreement Date of ratification of agreement Date of signature of agreement Start of FLEGT licensing
Côte d’Ivoire April 2024
Guyana March 2023
Honduras June 2021
Vietnam May 2019
Indonesia April 2014
Liberia December 2013
Congo February 2013
Cameroon – EU – Cameroon
Central African Republic 1 July 2012
Ghana
Democratic Republic of the Congo Still under negotiation
Gabon Still under negotiation

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived products to the European Union (FLEGT) (OJ L, 2024/1414, ).

Council Decision (EU) 2024/1412 of on the signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and timber products to the European Union (FLEGT) (OJ L, 2024/1412, ).

Council Decision (EU) 2024/1413 of on the conclusion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and timber products to the European Union (FLEGT) (OJ L, 2024/1413, ).

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (OJ L 121, , pp. 3–152).

Council Decision (EU) 2022/1974 of on the signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Cooperative Republic of Guyana on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (OJ L 271, , pp. 1–2).

Council Decision (EU) 2023/904 of on the conclusion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (OJ L 121, , pp. 1–2).

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Honduras on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (OJ L 217, , pp. 3–136).

Council Decision (EU) 2020/2185 of on the signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Honduras on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (OJ L 435, , pp. 63–64).

Council Decision (EU) 2021/964 of on the conclusion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Honduras on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (OJ L 217, , pp. 1–2).

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam on forest law enforcement, governance and trade (OJ L 147, , pp. 3–209).

Council Decision (EU) 2018/1528 of on the signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam on forest law enforcement, governance and trade (OJ L 257, , pp. 1–2).

Council Decision (EU) 2019/854 of on the conclusion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam on forest law enforcement, governance and trade (OJ L 147, , pp. 1–2).

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Indonesia on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products into the European Union (OJ L 150, , pp. 252–330).

Amendments to the agreement have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

Council Decision 2013/486/EU of on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Indonesia on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (OJ L 265, , pp. 1–2).

Council Decision 2014/284/EU of on the conclusion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Indonesia on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (OJ L 150, , pp. 250–251).

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Liberia on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (OJ L 191, , pp. 3–90).

Council Decision 2011/475/EU of on the signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Liberia on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (OJ L 196, , p. 2).

Council Decision 2012/373/EU of on the conclusion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Liberia on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (OJ L 191, , p. 1).

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Central African Republic on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived products to the European Union (FLEGT) (OJ L 191, , pp. 103–256).

Council Decision 2011/790/EU of on the signing of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Central African Republic on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived products to the European Union (FLEGT) (OJ L 320, , p. 2).

Council Decision 2012/374/EU of on the conclusion of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Central African Republic on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived products to the European Union (FLEGT) (OJ L 191, , p. 102).

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cameroon on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived products to the European Union (FLEGT) (OJ L 92, , pp. 4–125).

Council Decision 2011/200/EU of on the signing of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cameroon on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived products to the European Union (FLEGT) (OJ L 92, , pp. 1–2).

Council Decision 2011/201/EU of on the conclusion of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cameroon on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived products to the European Union (FLEGT) (OJ L 92, , p. 3).

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of the Congo on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived products to the European Union (FLEGT) (OJ L 92, , pp. 127–238).

Council Decision 2010/615/EU of on the signing of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of the Congo on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived products to the European Union (FLEGT) (OJ L 271, , pp. 1–2).

Council Decision 2011/202/EU of on the conclusion of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of the Congo on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived products to the European Union (FLEGT) (OJ L 92, , p. 126).

Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Ghana on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products into the Community (OJ L 70, , pp. 3–75).

Council Decision 2010/151/EC of on the signing and conclusion of a voluntary partnership agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Ghana on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products into the Community (OJ L 70, , pp. 1–2).

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