Illegal timber trade in for the chop
Illegal timber trade in for the chop
The National Steering Committee has initiated negotiations with the European Union (EU) on the potential for the legal export of timber.
The Steering Committee and EU delegations recently met for talks in Luang Prabang province about a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) for Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT), aimed at tackling illegal wood harvesting and promoting a legal timber trade with the EU.
FLEGT is an EU initiative that offers multiple benefits to Laos, in particular strengthening value-adding in the wood processing sector.
It will help grow the exports of timber products, thereby increasing state revenues and employment opportunities, promoting fair competition between companies and markets as well as improving sustainable forest managem ent.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Dr Phouangparisak Pravongviengkham, said the government was endeavouring to carry out the first negotiation with the EU befo re the end of this year.
Dr Phouangparisak said negotiations for trade agreements needed to go hand-in-hand with strengthening value-adding wood processing. This will bolster state revenue, create new jobs and will allow the nation to access new export markets.
“At the same time, law enforcement has to be stepped up,” he added.
Director General of the Department of Forest Inspection and FLEGT Focal Point of the Lao government, Mr Khamphout Phandanouvong, said this was part of the Action Plan on Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade to combat illegal logging globally.
The European Union (EU) is concluding VPAs with timber producing countries. These international trade agreements seek to reduce illegal wood harvesting and promote a legal timber trade.
Laos has started to negotiate such an agreement with the EU, with assistance from the GIZ project Support to the Lao EU-FLEGT process (ProFLEGT).
ProFLEGT is a joint initiative of the Lao government and the German Development Cooperation.
