South-east Asian countries share progress to tackle illegal logging and its associated trade

The 7th Regional Training Workshop on Timber Legality Assurance took place from 19 to 21 November 2019 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Participants included representatives of nine member states of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), China, Japan South Korea, the European Union, international organisations and the ASEAN Secretariat. They discussed their efforts to tackle illegal logging and its associated trade, and measures for trade in legal timber products.

Strong law enforcement drives responsible timber businesses in Ghana

The EU FLEGT Facility has published a story reporting how law enforcement and continuous checks on operators are transforming business practices in Ghana’s timber sector. Companies are making noticeable improvements, in particular in relation to environmental and social obligations.

UNEP-WCMC reports on EUTR implementation

The UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) has published its latest briefing note on the implementation of the European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR), which covers the period September to November 2019.

Three years of FLEGT licensing: EU and Indonesia take stock of forest governance progress

The EU and Indonesia embarked on an ambitious journey to improve forest governance and promote trade in legal timber over a decade ago. This month, the two parties celebrated the third anniversary of a key result in that work, the launch of the world’s first ‘FLEGT’ licensing scheme, guaranteeing the legality of timber products exported from Indonesia to the EU.

Briefing note presents lessons learnt from the implementation of the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade licensing system in Indonesia

The EU FLEGT Facility has issued a briefing note that draws lessons from three years of Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licensing in Indonesia.

UNEP-WCMC reports on EUTR implementation

The UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) has published its latest briefing note on the implementation of the European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR), which covers the period July to August 2019.

Old wood becomes a source of legal timber in Thailand

Reclaimed timber is contributing to Thailand’s local economy and becoming an important livelihoods source. Timber from old houses that have come to the end of their lifecycle are being bought by traders and turned into a thriving business.

The European Commission adopts a new framework of actions to protect and restore the world's forests

On 23 July the European Commission (EC) adopted the Communication on Stepping up EU Action to Protect and Restore the World's Forests. It’s a new ambitious European approach in response to the continued widespread destruction of the world's forests.

Briefing note provides new insights on small and micro-sized entities in the Mekong forestry sector

Little is known about the small and micro-sized entities (SmEs) engaged in the forestry sector in the Mekong region, their characteristics, the number and gender of people involved in the businesses, their supply chains and levels of compliance with regulations. A new briefing published by the EU FLEGT Facility provides analysis, insights and recommendations to improve the position of SmEs in the Mekong forestry sector.

The EU and Laos conclude the third formal negotiation towards an agreement on combating illegal logging and promoting trade in legal timber products

The European Union (EU) and Laos held their third round of face-to-face negotiations on a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT). The talks took place in Brussels, Belgium from 17-21 June 2019. The Agreement aims to establish a system to verify the legality of timber products harvested and exported by Laos. This helps to promote trade in legal timber products, improves forest governance and contributes to combatting illegal logging.