Genuine forest reform can only happen under the gaze of independent eyes

Looking back into a past of chaos, corruption and crime, Indonesia has clearly come a long way in reforming its timber sector. During the 1990s and early 2000s, illegal logging was so widespread that more than 70-80 per cent of timber produced in Indonesia was sourced illegally.

Indonesia improving FLEGT licensing procedures

Indonesia has taken several measures in recent months to improve procedures relating to FLEGT licences — the export licences that attest to the legality of EU-bound timber and timber products.

Indonesian forest monitors report on timber legality issues

Indonesia’s Independent Forest Monitoring Network (JPIK) says the country’s timber legality assurance system (SVLK) has led to “significant changes in improving good forest governance” but still has weaknesses and must be continuously improved to ensure its credibility and accountability.

FLEGT is big, says Director General for the Environment

In this exclusive interview with the ETTF, European Commission Director General for the Environment Daniel Calleja Crespo describes the first year of FLEGT licensing by Indonesia as a great start. Now, he says, it’s the responsibility of all stakeholders to capitalise on the opportunities presented by this unique timber legality initiative and to take the wider EU FLEGT Action Plan forward.

Indonesia and the EU release 2016 annual report on VPA progress

Indonesia and the EU have released a joint report on progress in implementing the Voluntary Partnership Agreement from May 2015 to December 2016. The report describes progress made with the timber legality assurance system, institutional improvements, stakeholder engagement, communication, transparency and monitoring of the agreement.

Indonesia and EU celebrate one year of certified legal timber trade

Indonesia and the EU have held a conference to celebrate the first anniversary of the scheme licensing certified legal timber products that Indonesia exports to the EU. Since the start of FLEGT licensing, named after the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Action Plan, Indonesia has shipped certified legal timber products worth more than EUR 1 billion to the EU to operators in all 28 EU Member States.

Indonesia shipped verified legal timber worth more than 1 billion euros to EU in first year of FLEGT licensing

Indonesia has shipped verified legal timber and timber products worth more than 1 billion euros to the EU since it began issuing such products with FLEGT licences one year ago.

Paper analyses VPA implementation in Indonesia and Ghana

A new paper in the journal Regulation & Governance analyses the implementation of Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) in Indonesia and Ghana under the European Union (EU) Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan.

Call for tender: National FLEGT Expert for Indonesia

The European Forest Institute has issued a call for tender for a National FLEGT Expert for Indonesia. The objective of the assignment is to support the Government of Indonesia (GoI) and the EU, represented by EU Delegation to Indonesia and the Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV) of the European Commission, in the licensing phase of the VPA.

Lessons and inspiration from Indonesia’s FLEGT experience

Indonesia was not the only one to celebrate its FLEGT licensing launch last year. Other tropical timber exporters engaged in the FLEGT VPA process en route to licensing welcomed the news too. They see Indonesia’s success not just as inspirational, but providing lessons from which they can learn. Mike Jeffree reports