FLEGT treaty suddenly enforced in the EU

27 October 2016

Illegal logging and trade is a big problem in some countries, including Indonesia. Therefore, the FLEGT treaty has been brought to life.  from these countries to the European Union (EU). The FLEGT treaty with Indonesia was not enforced in the EU until now, however changes will occur here as per November 15th.

FLEGT treaty between the EU and Indonesia

May 2014 saw the initiation of a decision by the European Union (2014/284/EU) regarding the FLEGT agreement with Indonesia. Since then, the Indonesian authorities provide a so-called ‘V-legal’ document for the export of timber. This is designed to confirm that timber has been harvested legally. Without this export authorization, products cannot leave Indonesia. For anyone importing timber products from Indonesia, the export license is essentially nothing new.

Currently, timber products can still be imported into the EU without a license. On October 2016 however, the Council of the European Union published a proposal, within which it stated that from November 15th, this will no longer be possible. In line with this, import procedures in the Netherlands will change. An export license must be submitted with every shipment of timber products. This license must be signed and handed over to the Dutch Food and Goods Safety Authority (NVWA). Then the NVWA issues a release code for the timber, which should be included in the customs declaration. The customs agent can handle the entire process for you.

A world-wide approach to illegal logging and trade

Illegal logging and trade is a big problem in many countries. Therefore, the EU has, since 2010, established laws and regulations relating to the import of wooden products. Treaties similar to the FLEGT are also in force in many African countries. Indonesia is the first Asian country to take action against illegal logging and trade in this way.

What does this mean for you?

Do you import timber products from Indonesia? If so, your contact person will keep you updated on the implications for your situation.