EU Enforces Illegal Logging Ban

From left: Kojo Owusu Agyemang, Claude Maerten and some participants interacting after the conference

By Esther Awuah
The European Union (EU) will from March 2013 halt the importation of illegal timber into European countries.

This follows the introduction of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which seeks to reduce trade in illegal logging and prohibit the importation of illegal timber into the EU market.

Head of EU Delegation to Ghana, Claude Maerten disclosed this when he addressed representatives from West and Central African countries who attended a regional conference on illegal logging in Accra.

He noted that “much is being done within the EU, both by the relevant authorities and the private sector to ensure that each has made the necessary preparations to meet this deadline.”

In 2003, the EU adopted its Action Plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) with the aim to halt illegal logging and promote better governance.

The main tool to implement the Action Plan is the negotiation and conclusion of Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPA) between the EU and a Partner Country.

To date, in West and Central Africa, the EU has signed VPAs with five countries (Cameroun, Central African Republic, Ghana, Liberia and Republic of Congo) and is negotiating with two countries (Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon),
It has also introduced the VPA in Cote d’Ivoire.

The three-day conference, which started from 23rd October to 25th 2012, brought together about 130 stakeholders involved in the implementation of the VPA process who will share their experiences and discuss the successes and unique challenges of negotiating and implementing VPA in the region.

In his address, the Deputy Minister of Lands & Natural Resources, Kojo Owusu Agyemang noted that poor forest governance is the root cause of the degradation of the forest estates in the world and Africa.

“Ghana’s objective for entering into the VPA remains unchanged. We seek to take advantage of this market lever, the support from our traditional partners and the limelight that is given to forest governance issues, which particularly ensures that only legal timber enters our domestic market and the EU market.”

He reiterated government’s commitment to enforce VPA and noted that “currently, a Timber Resource Regulations has been passed to provide legal backing for the implementation of the VPA.”