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Forest Law and Governance

FERN’s aim is to work with partners to improve forest governance so as to halt the illegal timber trade in Europe and return forest land to the ownership of local communities.


FERN’s analysis: Around half of the tropical timber and 20 per cent of timber from boreal forests imported into the EU is illegally sourced. Illegal logging destroys forests and damages communities, but it is hard to tackle because it is often an integral part of a nation’s economy, giving financial support to political parties and companies. FERN believes the challenge is to address the root causes of illegal operations: corruption, unclear tenure situation and the excessive influence of the timber industry.

 

What FERN is doing: FERN’s forest law and governance campaign works with partners to enable the implementation of the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan in a way that improves forest governance strengthens forest peoples’ rights and makes the timber industry transparent and accountable. At the centre of this plan is the development of Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) between the EU and timber producing countries to control illegal timber imports to the EU and encourage partner countries to improve their forest governance.

FERN is following progress on VPAs in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ghana, Indonesia, Liberia, Malaysia and Republic of Congo. Updates are provided in our monthly newsletter Forest Watch. To sign-up to Forest Watch, please click here.

 

To learn more about this campaign: see what is EU FLEGT, www.loggingoff.info, “Consultation requirements under FLEGT”, and “Options for Europe.”

 

A CIVIL SOCIETY COUNTER-BRIEF ON THE CONGO–EU VPA

On 9 May 2009 the government of the Republic of Congo1 (hereafter referred to as the Congo) and the European Union (EU) concluded a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) that aims to solve the country’s problem of illegal logging and associated poor forest governance. The agreement aims to develop measures to ensure the timber sector in the Congo is both legal and sustainable.

This briefing provides the views of Congolese and European civil society on the concluded agreement and its implementation. It concludes that finalising the VPA is just the first step and that success can only be achieved through implementation that keeps the FLEGT objectives in mind.

 

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application/pdf iconRoC VPA counter brief.pdf419.58 KB

Process to ratify timber trade agreements

A short briefing note on the processes that leads to operational VPA agreements. The VPA process is undertaken by the EU on behalf of all its Member States. Although both parties (the EU and the timber producer country) enter into VPA negotiations voluntarily, when a VPA enters into force both parties are legally committed to only trade legal timber. The process can be split into two stages: negotiation and ratification.

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application/pdf iconOPEN230.02 KB

Forestwatch Issue 149 May 2010

  • World Bank begins palm oil consultation
  • CAP reform: speak up
  • Legal timber trade in Cameroon: How far from paper to practice?
  • Additional measures needed to protect forests
  • EU Ecolabel revisited
  • Bolivia: Putting people in climate talks 
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application/pdf iconFW 149 May 2010.pdf182.57 KB

Hope that signed Cameroon-EU VPA will begin an end to illegal logging

6 May 2010, saw representatives from Cameroon and the EU conclude a trade agreement that aims to ensure Cameroonian timber is legal when sold on the domestic market or exported to the EU and other countries.

This press release gives the view of civil society, concluding that steps have been made in the right direction thanks to a strong, inclusive consultation process by both the Cameroonian government and the European Commission. However, success in terms of forests will only come through strong implementation.

 
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application/pdf iconFinal Press release Cameroon-EU.pdf72.7 KB

A civil society counter-brief on the Cameroon–EU VPA

On 6th May 2010, the Cameroonian Government and the European Union (EU) concluded a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) that aims to solve the country’s pervasive problem of illegal logging and associated poor governance. The agreement aims to develop measures to ensure the timber sector in Cameroon is both legal and sustainable. This briefing provides civil society views from both Cameroon and Europe on the signed agreement and its implementation.

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application/pdf iconOPEN420.04 KB

Malaysia-EU Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) still far from delivering

Press release announcing the launch of a report by the Network of Indigenous Peoples and Non-Governmental Organisations on Forest Issues (JOANGOHutan). It details that the on-going negotiations between Malaysia and the European Union (EU) to enter into a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) on the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) has virtually no respect for indigenous peoples’ rights, as defined in law and upheld by the Malaysian courts. 

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application/pdf iconLogging in Sarawak press release20.87 KB

Forestwatch Issue 146 and FLEGT special

  • Copenhagen’s missing ingredients: legal standing and political will
  • Sarawak cases, VPA lessons
  • Moving goal posts: staunching EU biodiversity loss
  • Bulgaria facing EU penalty over forest swaps
  • Forest Inaction Plan
  • ‘Sustainable’ Biofuels?
  • Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT): Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) special 
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application/pdf iconVPA update.pdf131.26 KB
application/pdf iconFW 146 February 2010.pdf212.96 KB

Liberia - The Promise Betrayed

This report by Liberian NGO SDI reflects on the state of forest law enforcement and governance in post-conflict Liberia. It catalogues the major flaws and illegalities that occurred during the handing out of forest concessions in the last few years. It reaffirms that the potential of the logging industry to deliver jobs and revenue is exaggerated – often intentionally so. Current developments in the forest sector point to a future of disappointment and conflict across communities, and sustained tension between the state (on one side) and those non-state actors and community representatives.The report presents recommendations with a special focus on how the government could return to the path of reform in order to get the forestry sector to work for Liberia and its people. It describes the EU FLEGT process under which the EU negotiates a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) as a positive step and includes clear recommendations for the EU, the Government of Liberia and civil society actors.

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application/pdf iconLiberia the promise betrayed2.44 MB

Forestwatch Issue 145 and Copenhagen Special

  • EU Member States reject prohibition of the sale of illegal timber
  • NGOs reject Ecolabel for copying and graphic paper
  • Will Europe follow America’s ECAs in reducing GHGs
  • Integrated Product Policy and Beyond
  • Member States’ support binding biomass criteria
  • Copenhagen Update (Available in French and Spanish)
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application/pdf iconFW 145 Jan 2010.pdf184.82 KB
application/pdf iconCopenhagen update.pdf124.79 KB
application/pdf iconCopenhagen update in French.pdf189.37 KB
application/pdf iconCopenhagen update in Spanish.pdf132.46 KB

Forestwatch Issue 144 and update from Barcelona

  • Climate, energy and environment change
  • A binding forest agreement?
  • Biomass: binding sustainability criteria needed
  • FERN.org relaunched
  • First US illegal timber investigation
  • EU ratifies Ghana VPA
  • Palm oil funding frozen
  • Update from UNFCCC Barcelona meeting
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application/pdf iconFW 144 December 2009213.17 KB
application/pdf iconBarcelona update118.32 KB