What is FLEGT?
What is FLEGT?
FLEGT stands for Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade. On 21 May 2003, the European Commission released an Action Plan on FLEGT. This marked the beginning of a long process by which the EU aims to develop and implement measures to address illegal logging and the related trade.
The Action Plan’s proposals cover measures on a number of key issues, including:
- development co-operation between the EU and producer countries to address illegal logging;
- political measures to control the imports of illegally harvested timber into the EU;
- a policy that ensures public procurement of legally sourced timber;
- private sector initiatives;
- financing and investments safeguards; and
- addressing conflict timber.
- A new EU regulation setting up a voluntary licensing system on timber, whereby partner countries would issue permits attesting to the legality of exported timber, and where the EU would only permit imports of timber from partner countries that are accompanied by such a 'legality licence'.
- The development of a series of partnership agreements between the EU and timber-producing countries, to facilitate the legality licence process described above.
- A review of the options for further measures to support the FLEGT Action Plan, including further legislative measures to control the imports of illegally harvested timber.
This project is funded by the European Union.
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