Laos and EU hold first face-to-face VPA negotiations

The European Union and Laos held their first negotiations towards a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) to improve forest governance, address illegal logging and promote trade in legal timber products, when they met on 24-28 April in Vientiane.

Natural Resource Reform At Home – Not Walls – Will Stem The Tide Of Migrants

The answer to stemming the flow of migrants from troubled countries is not concrete walls and stricter laws – as British Prime Minister Theresa May and US President Donald Trump would have us believe. There’s no silver bullet to this complex challenge, but a more promising solution is to help improve the economy and rule of law in the migrants’ home nations.

Briefing: Developments relevant to the implementation and enforcement of the EU Timber Regulation, December 2016 to March 2017

Briefing note compiled by UNEP-WCMC as a consultant of the European Commission in close cooperation with the Member States Competent Authorities.

Civil society sharing lessons on participation and forest governance

When civil society organisations in Indonesia began proposing ways to end illegal logging, they knew they had a mountain to climb. In 2002, some 80 percent of logging there was illegally. Corruption and conflict were widespread. Trust was lacking.

Briefing: Timber trade flows and investments between China and VPA countries

The EU FLEGT Facility has published a briefing based on research into flows of timber and investments between the China and the six countries that have signed Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) with the EU.

Company promises: How businesses are meeting commitments to end deforestation

Fern's new report is based on interviews with some of the biggest global producers and users of agricultural products. It finds that consumer-country governments should apply FLEGT-style VPAs to agricultural commodities.

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.

Danish regulator questions sale of Myanmar teak

The Danish Competent Authority last week required seven companies to make improvements to their due diligence systems if they are to sell teak imported from Myanmar on the EU market. The case raises questions about whether it is currently possible to place timber from Myanmar on the EU market while meeting the obligations of the EU Timber Regulation.

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.

Briefing: Addressing illegal cross-border timber trade in South Asia

The EU FLEGT Facility has published a briefing based on research into cross-border timber trade in South Asia, and between South Asian nations and Myanmar.