Vietnam, EU complete VPA negotiations on forest governance
Vietnam and the EU on May 11 concluded six years of negotiations for a voluntary partnership agreement (VPA) on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT).
Belgium (VNA) – Vietnam and the EU on May 11concluded six years of negotiations for a voluntary partnership agreement (VPA)on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT).
The agreement aims to ensure that all timber and timberproducts destined for the EU market from a partner country comply with the lawof that country.
It is expected to improve forest management, deter illegallogging, and boost trade of Vietnamese legal timber products with the EU andother markets.
Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment Ha Cong Tuan and Astrid Schomaker, Director for Global Sustainable Development at the European Commission's Directorate General for the Environment, have initialled the pact’scontent, which will undergo further legal examination before being translatedinto the EU’s official languages and Vietnamese.
Both sides have agreed on key factors needed in preparationfor the implementation of the agreement.
Key elements of the VPA include commitments to legalreforms, public disclosure of information and improvements to forestgovernance; and a framework for overseeing, monitoring and evaluating theimplementation of the VPA and its economic, social and environmental impacts.
Following the conclusion of negotiations, Vietnam and EUwill sign and ratify the VPA so that their commitments will become legallybinding.
A Vietnam-EU Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) willoversee the implementation of the VPA and respond to concerns as they arise.
In order to issue FLEGT licences as required by the VPA, Vietnamwill develop a timber legality assurance system (VNTLAS).
The country will begin issuing FLEGT licences when thetimber legality assurance system has been successfully tested, and when Vietnamand the EU are satisfied that it functions as described in the VPA.
Vietnam is among 15 countries negotiating the VPA with theEU.
Indonesia was the first Asian country to initial a VPA, withFLEGT licencing beginning on November 15, 2016.-VNA
Vietnam and the European Union (EU) have basically concluded the Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (VPA/FLEGT) after nearly six years of negotiations.
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Illustrative photo (Source: VNA) 
