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FLEGT Policy News

News related to policy development

Final Joint Assessment of Ghana VPA to start in May

Ghana and the European Union are currently bringing final steps underway for completing VPA implementation in the country. The latest meeting of the Joint Monitoring and Review Mechanism (JMRM) at the end of February decided the tender process for the Final Joint Assessment of Ghana’s Legality Assurance System (GhLAS) should be completed no later than …

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UK Timber Trade Federation pushes the profile of FLEGT licensing

UK government recognition of FLEGT-licensing in timber procurement policy as evidence of legality and sustainability on an equal footing with FSC and PEFC schemes is a major credit to the initiative. However, more market promotion, communication and education is needed before a FLEGT licence achieves the broad awareness and acceptance levels of these ‘brand-leading’ certification …

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FLEGT-licensed timber and EU public procurement

Workshop 3 of the First IMM Trade Consultation held in London on 8 March 2018 involved a multi-national discussion of the status of FLEGT licensing as a criterion in government timber procurement policy (TPP). It also looked at prospects and methods for licensing to achieve greater and more widespread recognition in TPP in the future.

EUTR and EU FLEGT stay in UK law post-Brexit

The UK is pledged to incorporate the EU Timber Regulation and EU FLEGT and FLEGT licensing rules in its statutes post-Brexit, according to Therese Coffey, parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Should EUTR broaden scope – yes or no?

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the contentious issue of whether the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) should broaden in scope to encompass more timber and wood product imports to the EU.

Nordic countries put spotlight on Chinese imports in EUTR

EUTR authorities in Nordic and Baltic countries are involved in a collaborative project to assess and monitor Chinese timber and wood product imports. The first phase of the project, which ran until July 2017, aimed at improving understanding of Chinese supply chains, experience sharing between EU and EEA countries and cross checking Chinese export documents …

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Beyond legality: The social, environmental and economic benefits of FLEGT-licensed timber

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, …

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Vietnam prepares for VPA implementation

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. …

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