FLEGT LICENSING SCHEME FOR TIMBER IMPORTS
Letter from Jim Knight MP, Minister for
Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity, Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs to the Chairman
I am writing to inform you that the Council
reached political agreement on the negotiating directive authorising
the Commission to open negotiations for Forest Law Enforcement,
Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Partnership Agreements in November
2006 and adopted the supporting Regulation (13660/05, 15102/05,
15068/05 add 1) in December 2005.
This will allow the EU to negotiate and enter
into legally binding partnership agreements with timber producing
countries and provide them with assistance to tackle illegal logging.
This assistance will include setting up a licensing system designed
to identify products and license them for export to the EU. The
Regulation provides EU Customs officers with powers to deny access
to unlicensed timber and timber products from partner countries.
22 February 2006
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