On 17 June 2026, the European Parliament approved the unilateral termination of the EU-Liberia Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), adopting a resolution on both the termination and future partnerships. The European Commission,...
08/07/2026
In today’s Indonesia, civic space is restricted, and violence against environmental and human rights defenders is soaring. And so is deforestation, surging 66% in 2025 compared to the previous year. But the EU could use the...
13/05/2026
Ghana is the first country in Africa to be awarded a coveted FLEGT licence - seen as the gold standard in the fight against illegal logging. But will it be the last? Author and Fern board member Fred Pearce reports on how the fate...
04/11/2025
Reuben Sei Waylaun, Media and Communication Officer, Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), one of Fern’s partners in Liberia explains outcomes of a national consultation which defined the prerequisites for a strong,...
15/10/2025
Despite long-standing concerns and warnings, in September 2025, the EU Commission and Government of Indonesia signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the product of nearly a decade of negotiations. Given the...
On 17 June 2025, the European Parliament (EP) plenary voted to terminate the EU-Cameroon Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA). The unilateral nature of this step – the...
10/07/2025
Among the potential casualties of the EU’s decision to unilaterally terminate its Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) timber trade agreement with Liberia, is the damage it will inflict on the West African nation’s fight against...
06/02/2025
On 2 October 2024, the European Commission (EC) not only proposed a delay of 12 months for the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), it also published its long-awaited Strategic Framework for International Cooperation Engagement on...
16/10/2024
NGOs are denouncing the Republic of Congo’s (RoC) decision to violate international and domestic obligations concerning the Congolese national park of Conkouati-Douli by allowing oil exploration in its fragile ecosystem....
11/06/2024
