The IMM project has completed its activities under the contract between the EU and ITTO. As of January 1, 2023, this website is no longer maintained.
ITTO will publish the final quarterly report for 2022 in the first half of 2023 and will maintain the STIX database and dashboard (www.stix.global). For more information visit: www.itto.int.
Regular news published by the IMM project about activities and recent market and policy developments
During 2017, the IMM expanded its market research programme to cover seven key EU countries, which account for roughly 90% of EU tropical timber imports from EU FLEGT Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) partner countries. Its market research has been based on online surveys and structured interviews with trade representatives, government agencies and NGOs. Besides key EU …
The question whether FLEGT-licensed timber should be considered “a step backwards” compared to timber certified by voluntary third-party schemes was frequently raised as a part of IMM 2017 interviews. It’s a difficult question to answer at the global level, as the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) process determines legality rather than sustainability per se. There is, …
Vietnamese VPA expected to create positive regional dynamics IMM spoke with Edwin Shanks, VPA Joint Implementation Coordinator for Vietnam, about latest developments in the country. Vietnam is regarded as a processing hub in the timber sector in Southeast Asia and is an important supplier, in particular of indoor and outdoor furniture, for the EU market. …
“We are often sceptical of things we don’t fully understand; tangible, factual information is key for demand-side trade audiences”, says UK TTF Head of Sustainability, Mike Worrell. IMM interviewed Mike following his visit to Indonesia in October 2017 to gather first-hand experience of how the Indonesian FLEGT-licensing system works.
“EC should do more to promote FLEGT-licensed timber” In November 2016, Indonesia started issuing FLEGT licenses which are recognised proof of legality in the EU market and thereby became the first country to fully implement a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the EU. Dr Rufi’ie, Director of Forest Products Processing and Marketing with the Indonesian …
Interview with Indonesia Director of Forest Products Processing and Marketing Read More »
EU gets back to building European construction is a key market for many European timber businesses so, as it was among the sectors hit hardest and longest by the international economic downturn, they suffered accordingly. Some companies reported seeing their sales to builders drop by 80% during the downturn which began a decade ago. In Spain, …
Eurozone builds economic resilience…but Brexit causes UK caution The EU timber sector is being buoyed by broadly resurgent economic conditions, with the UK the only major standout from an increasingly positive trading consensus due to growing concerns about the effect on business and consumer sentiment of Brexit negotiations.
The European Commission has developed an IT system named FLEGIT/TRACES to support the implementation of FLEGT Licensing Scheme in the EU. FLEGIT allows importers to electronically submit a FLEGT Licence to a Competent Authority and enables the electronic and fast validation of the FLEGT Licence by the Competent Authorities and subsequent clearance by the Customs.
Alongside regular surveys of market opinion to assess the market impact of FLEGT licensing, IMM is implementing near-real time monitoring of trade flow statistics. Early results of this monitoring indicate that there has been little immediate effect of the licensing system to either boost or impair timber trade between Indonesia and the EU. In fact, …
Indonesia-EU timber trade following FLEGT licensing Read More »
The first round of IMM surveys in Indonesia, the only VPA partner country currently issuing FLEGT licenses, covered 47 timber industry players exporting a wide range of products – including furniture and furniture parts, decking, mouldings and plywood as well as paper, fibre- and particleboard, doors, gluelam and sawn timber – to the European Union …
Indonesian wood industry acknowledges advantages of FLEGT Read More »