JAKARTA, (PNA/ANTARA) — Indonesia and the European Union signed the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade-Voluntary Partnership Agreements (FLEGT-VPA) in Brussels, Belgium, on Monday.
The agreement was signed by Indonesian Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan, EU`s Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik and EU President Valentinas Mazuronis, who is currently the Environmental Affairs Minister of Lithuania.
The agreement aims to ensure that all Indonesian timber entering the EU is produced legally and has passed all legal verifications.
Indonesia is the first Asian country and the largest timber exporter to enter such an agreement with the EU.
The agreement was signed after six years of intensive and constructive negotiations involving government officials, civil society and the private sector.
The deal covers a licensing system related to timber exported by Indonesia to the 28 EU member nations, based on the Timber Legality Verification System.
Once the agreement is fully implemented, Indonesia`s timber must comply with the EU Timber Regulation No. 995/2010 that bans illegal timber products from entering EU`s markets.