EU grants 3 million euros to combat deforestation in Vietnam

On February 18, three new projects funded by the European Union (EU) with a total budget of 3 million euros were officially launched to support Vietnam and other neighboring countries in combating illegal logging, promoting the trade in legal timber and timber products, as well as sustainable forest use in Vietnam.

At the launching ceremony, Ambassador - Head of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Vietnam, Dr. Franz Jessen said "The EU Timber Regulation, which came into effect on March 3, 2013, and the Voluntary Partnership Agreements are two parts of the EU action plan on strengthening forest law, governance and trade (FLEGT), an EU initiative to combat illegal logging and improve forest governance, in which Vietnam is one of the pioneering partners of FLEGT in Asia. The three projects launched on February 18, supporting non-governmental organizations and small and medium-sized enterprises, are important because the participation of the above-mentioned agencies is a key element of the Voluntary Partnership Agreements".

The EU FLEGT Action Plan first entered into force in May 2003 and sets out rules and measures to reduce the risk of illegally harvested timber and timber products being placed on the EU market. A significant proportion, around 19%, of timber imported into the EU market is believed to be of illegal origin.

Vietnam officially joined the FLEGT negotiations with the EU in May 2010. To date, three rounds of negotiations have been held. Technical discussions, stakeholder consultations and technical assistance, as part of the negotiation process, are underway with the aim of concluding negotiations on the EU-Vietnam Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) by the end of 2014.

The Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) between Vietnam and the European Union will provide a legal framework and a compliance monitoring system to ensure that all timber imported into the EU from Vietnam has been legally procured, harvested, transported and exported. This will, in turn, help to consolidate institutional reform, law enforcement in the forestry sector and enhance the national image and branding of the Vietnamese timber industry. It will therefore ensure that Vietnamese timber and timber products can maintain their foothold in the EU market while increasing their access to other markets.

According to HNMO