Hope for a hard-pressed community

The head of Tan Hoi village sits cross-legged on the floor describing the pressures his people face. “The older generation lacks education. The younger ones leave school as early as 11. Only one person has ever graduated from university as most people don’t have the resources to be able to afford it,” says Lê Văn Bức, a wiry, softly-spoken man in his 40s.

A chance for change: A civil society briefing on the Voluntary Partnership Agreement negotiations between Vietnam and the European Union

This briefing takes stock of the VPA between Vietnam and the EU at a key juncture: as the Agreement formally moves from its negotiation to ratification phase.

EU and Vietnam conclude VPA negotiations

On 11 May 2017, the EU and Vietnam formally concluded their negotiations towards a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), by initialling the document.

EIA warns of illegal timber trade between Cambodia and Vietnam

EIA’s new report highlights ongoing illegal timber trade between Cambodia and Vietnam.

FLEGT boosts civil society self-help

After playing a key role in implementing their country’s FLEGT Voluntary Partnership Agreement with the EU, Indonesian civil society groups are sharing experiences with counterparts in other countries engaged in the initiative.

Making Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) work for forests, people and the climate: Civil society recommendations on the future of VPAs

By highlighting the decade of successes already achieved during the negotiation and implementation of Voluntary Partnership Agreements to end illegal logging, civil society from timber producing countries explain where EU policy should go next.

VPAs and SMEs in Mekong countries – new website and discussion group

The EU FLEGT Facility has launched a web page and online forum focused on small and informal forest products enterprises in the context of Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) in the Mekong region.

Southeast Asia marks progress in combating illegal timber trade

Representatives from eight member states of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) shared their achievements in developing reliable timber legality assurance systems at a workshop in Jakarta, Indonesia from 6-8 December 2016.

Fern cautiously welcomes the EU and Vietnam Voluntary Partnership Agreement

On 18 November, a significant milestone was reached in the fight to protect Vietnam’s forests. The EU and Vietnam agreed ‘in principle’ on a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), establishing a legal framework promoting legal logging, ensuring that the nation’s forests are managed in line with social and environmental laws and that timber products from Vietnam are verifiably legal.

Vietnam and EU agree in principle on FLEGT VPA

After nearly six years of negotiations, Vietnam and the European Union have agreed in principle on a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) to improve forest governance, address illegal logging and promote trade in verified legal timber products from Vietnam to the EU. Vietnam and the EU expect to ratify the agreement in 2017.