| Author (Corporate) | European Commission |
|---|---|
| Series Title | COM |
| Series Details | (2013) 432 final (20.6.13) |
| Publication Date | 20/06/2013 |
| Content Type | Policy-making |
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The Action Plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT), endorsed by the Council in 2003, proposes a set of measures, including support for timber-producing countries, multilateral collaboration to tackle trade in illegal timber, support for private-sector initiatives, and measures to discourage investment in activities that encourage illegal logging. The cornerstone of the Action Plan is the establishment of FLEGT partnerships between the EU and timber-producing countries, aimed at putting a stop to illegal logging. In 2005 the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 2173/2005 establishing a mechanism to verify the legality of timber imported into the EU under the FLEGT partnerships. In December 2005 the Council authorised the Commission to negotiate FLEGT partnership agreements with timber-producing countries. The Commission entered into negotiations with Indonesia in January 2007. The Commission was assisted by a number of Member States, in particular the UK, which provided resources to facilitate the process in Indonesia. The Commission has kept the Council updated on progress, with reports to the Working Party on Forests as well as to EU Embassies in Indonesia. The Agreement addresses all the elements of the negotiating directives adopted by the Council. In particular, it establishes the framework, institutions and systems for the FLEGT licensing scheme. It sets out the framework for monitoring legal compliance and for independent auditing of the system. These are set out in annexes to the Agreement, which provide a detailed description of the structures that will underpin the assurance of legality afforded by a FLEGT licence. The FLEGT licensing scheme is expected to be fully operational by late 2013. The licensing scheme will be assessed against the criteria laid down in the Agreement before the EU begins accepting FLEGT licences. |
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| Source Link | http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2013:432:FIN |
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| Countries / Regions | Europe, Southeastern Asia |
