Three European Union (EU)-funded projects worth 3 million EUR, which aimto support Vietnam and its neighbouring countries in combating illegalwood exploitation, were officially launched at a ceremony in Hanoi onFebruary 18.

The projects are also expected tohelp the countries further promote their timber industry and legalwooden product business as well as use their forests in a sustainablemanner.

Speaking at the launching ceremony,Ambassador and Head of the EU delegation to Vietnam, Franz Jessen, saidthe EU’s regulations on wood and the Voluntary Partnerships Agreementare part of the bloc’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade(FLEGT) Action Plan, which is a EU initiative to prevent illegal woodlogging and bettering forest management, with Vietnam one of the FLEGT’spioneer partners in Asia.

The projects aim toassist non-governmental organisations, small and medium-sizedenterprises contribute their opinions to the negotiations of theVoluntary Partnerships Agreement (VPA) and implementing the agreementonce it becomes effective, he added.

The FLEGTAction Plan took effect in May 2003. Vietnam officially participated inFLEGT negotiations with the EU in May 2010. There have been three roundsof negotiations held so far.

Other relatedsessions considered part of the negotiation process are underway,towards winding up the VPA negotiations by the end of 2014.

Once signed, the Vietnam-EU VPA is expected to provide a legalframework and regulations on wood exports to the EU, thus maintainingVietnam’s wood and wooden products foothold in EU markets and furtherpenetrate other markets


Vietnam's wood exports reached 479 million USD in December last year, bringing 2013’s timber turnover to 5.37 billion USD.-VNA