Three European Union (EU)-funded projects worth 3 million EUR, which aim to support Vietnam and its neighbouring countries in combating illegal wood exploitation, were officially launched at a ceremony in Hanoi on February 18.

The projects are also expected to help the countries further promote their timber industry and legal wooden product business as well as use their forests in a sustainable manner.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Ambassador and Head of the EU delegation to Vietnam, Franz Jessen, said the EU’s regulations on wood and the Voluntary Partnerships Agreement are part of the bloc’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan, which is a EU initiative to prevent illegal wood logging and bettering forest management, with Vietnam one of the FLEGT’s pioneer partners in Asia.

The projects aim to assist non-governmental organisations, small and medium-sized enterprises contribute their opinions to the negotiations of the Voluntary Partnerships Agreement (VPA) and implementing the agreement once it becomes effective, he added.

The FLEGT Action Plan took effect in May 2003. Vietnam officially participated in FLEGT negotiations with the EU in May 2010. There have been three rounds of negotiations held so far.

Other related sessions considered part of the negotiation process are underway, towards winding up the VPA negotiations by the end of 2014.

Once signed, the Vietnam-EU VPA is expected to provide a legal framework and regulations on wood exports to the EU, thus maintaining Vietnam’s wood and wooden products foothold in EU markets and further penetrate other markets.

Vietnam's wood exports reached 479 million USD in December last year, bringing 2013’s timber turnover to 5.37 billion USD.

Source: VNA