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VPA Partner Countries

There are currently six countries that have finalised Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) negotiations with the EU and are developing the systems agreed in the VPAs, and there are four countries currently negotiating agreements with the EU. Furthermore, there are around 15 countries from Africa, Asia and Central and South America that have expressed interest in negotiating VPAs. For more information on VPAs please refer to the European Forest Institute (EFI).

VPA partner countries
Countries with full implementation
Countries in the development phase
Countries in the negotiation phase
Countries in the information phase

VPA partner countries with full implementation and licensing

Currently, none of the countries that have finalised a Voluntary Partnership Agreement has fully implemented the licensing system. Thus, currently, no FLEGT-licensed timber is available in the market. It is expected that by early to mid-2013 the first countries will reach the full implementation phase.

The regulation gives guidance on
the precise format of the licence.
See the example format here.

Once the licensing system is fully implemented, anyone importing from the partner country that has reached full implementation will need to have a FLEGT licence (issued by the exporting partner country) for any of the timber products that are covered by the VPA. When importing timber products to the UK, this licence will need to be presented to Defra’s Animal Health & Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) before or while the consignment is en route, to verify it in time for arrival at a UK port of entry. (see for more details, ‘how will it work’)

VPA partner countries currently in the system development phase

There are currently 6 countries implementing their licensing systems. These countries are:

Ghana

For more information on the Ghanaian VPA see here
For the full list of Ghanaian products subject to FLEGT licensing, see here

Cameroon

For more information on the Cameroonian VPA see here
For the full list of Cameroonian products subject to FLEGT licensing, see here

Indonesia

For more information on the Indonesian VPA see here
For the full list of Indonesian products subject to FLEGT licensing, see here

Liberia

For more information on the Liberian VPA see here
For the full list of Liberian products subject to FLEGT licensing, see here

Republic of Congo (Brazzaville)

For more information on the Republic of Congo VPA see here
For the full list of products from the Republic of Congo subject to FLEGT licensing, see here

Central African Republic

For more information on the CAR VPA see here
The full list of products from the Central African Republic subject to FLEGT licensing is not yet available.

VPA partner countries in the negotiation phase

There are currently 6 countries in the negotiation phase. These countries are:

Democratic Republic of Congo
See more information here
Gabon
See more information here
Malaysia
See more information here
Vietnam
See more information here
Guyana
See more information here
Honduras
See more information here

VPA Partner Countries in the information/pre-negotiation phase

FLEGT information missions have been carried out to:

In Central and South America

Bolivia
Colombia
Ecuador
Guatemala
Peru

Asia/Pacific

Cambodia
Laos
Myanmar/Burma
Papua New Guinea
the Solomon Islands
Thailand

Africa

Cote d'Ivore
Sierra Leone