The European Union (EU) and Vietnam have entered a second round of discussions for a Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), which would help curb illegal logging, according to VietNews.
Recently, the two sides met in Hanoi, Vietnam, to figure out how to track wood products to ensure legality upon entering the EU market when the FLEGT take effect in March 2013. They plan to meet again in May, with the agreement later being signed in late 2012. Key provisions still under discussion include the definition of legal timber, the list of timber products exported from Vietnam, and the monitoring system.
Nearly 30 percent of Vietnam's wood products are destined for the EU, putting it second behind the U.S., at 40 percent.
So far, the EU has negotiated FLEGT VPAs with five African nations-Ghana, Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Liberia and the Central African Republic-and one Asian country, Indonesia. In addition to Vietnam, the EU is currently discussing VPAs with Malaysia and Gabon, as well.
