Paradise lost: how China can help the Solomon Islands protect its forests

Our new investigation conclusively shows that tropical timber across the Solomon Islands is being harvested on an unsustainable scale, and that much of the activity driving this environmental destruction is at high risk of being illegal. If the growing degradation of the Solomon Islands’ tropical forests carries on unchecked, it will have a disastrous and irreparable impact on the country’s environment. The loss of this carbon sink would also have a significant impact on climate change.

EU and Vietnam sign VPA to combat illegal logging and promote legal timber trade

The EU and Vietnam signed a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT). The agreement will help improve forest governance, address illegal logging and promote trade in verified legal timber products from Vietnam to the EU, and other markets.

Republic of the Congo and the EU release 2017 annual report on VPA progress

The Republic of the Congo and the EU have released a joint report on progress in implementing the Voluntary Partnership Agreement in 2017.

Combating illegal timber trade: Promoting sustainable development and good governance

How can trade policies promote and support governance reforms in developing countries so that forest resources contribute to sustainable development? A panel discussion on the FLEGT initiative hoped to provide an answer to this question. The session, moderated by Jussi Viitanen, Head of the EU FLEGT and REDD Facilities at the European Forest Institute, took place at the recent WTO Public Forum in Geneva.

UNEP-WCMC informs on illegality risks from five timber source countries

The UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) has released the first five in a series of country overviews that aim to aid the implementation of the European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR). These overviews, which are available for Brazil, China, Myanmar, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, are produced for the European Commission.

European Commission reports on EUTR progress

The European Commission has released the second report on the implementation of the European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR), covering the period March 2015 to February 2017. The report reveals steady progress after four years of EUTR application. It is based on the reports from the 28 EU Member States and Norway.

South Korea closes market to illegally-harvested timber

South Korea has become the latest country to implement legislation to prevent imports of illegally-harvested timber.

UNEP-WCMC issues brief 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).

Fern says EU-Japan free trade deal poses threats to FLEGT

Nongovernmental organisation Fern says the EU’s new free trade deal with Japan threatens global efforts to tackle illegal logging, including its own action plan. The deal, which was agreed in July 2018 and is in the processing of being ratified, is the world’s largest bilateral trade agreement.

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.