Jakarta November 15, 2016 - Today, the first export of Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licensed timber products from Indonesia to European Union countries took place. WWF-Indonesia welcomes this momentum which signifies Indonesia's commitment in combating illegal logging and illegal timber trade.

Indonesia is the first country in the world to be entitled to issue FLEGT licenses so that Indonesian timber products can freely enter the European Union (EU) market and Indonesia is one of the largest exporters of tropical wood products ranging from plywood, pulp and paper to furniture and handicrafts. From now on, timber companies in Europe can place Indonesian timber products into the EU market without going through due diligence.

The FLEGT-VPA is an agreement between the governments of Indonesia and the EU that aims to improve governance and promote the trade of legal timber from Indonesia to the EU market as well as support the Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK) to meet the requirements of the European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR).

"We welcome the first export of Indonesian forestry products to the European Union," said Benja V. Mambai PLT CEO, WWF-Indonesia. "This is the fruit of the hard work of all parties for 10 years in developing SVLK, until this system becomes an important instrument to ensure that Indonesian wood products marketed to the European Union and other countries come from legal sources."

Based on the latest data, Indonesian wood products exported to Europe in 2015 reached USD 882 billion. In addition to the EU, China, Japan and Korea are the main destinations for Indonesia's forestry product exports.

"This FLEGT license will have a positive impact on the marketing of timber products from Indonesia. WWF-Indonesia urges the Indonesian government and the European Union to strictly implement and monitor the implementation of this system, so that it can be the basis for moving towards sustainability," said Aditya Bayunanda, Forest Commodity Market Transformation Leader, WWF-Indonesia. "The Indonesian government must also ensure access to information for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to conduct independent monitoring, including providing access to relevant data and planning documents. Withholding such information can make it difficult for NGOs to monitor SVLK implementation on the ground," he added.

At present there are 2,322 industries in Indonesia (KLHK data, 2016) that have passed the SVLK and received V-legal certificates, and can directly export to various countries. This certificate is proof of Indonesia's seriousness to improve forestry governance. Proper implementation of SVLK can be a strong foundation for implementing sustainable forest management in Indonesia.

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For more information, contact:
Nur Maliki Arifiandi, GFTN Trade and Networking Coordinator, WWF Indonesia
Email: [email protected] , Phone: +62 8151660736

Diah R. Sulistiowati, Forest and Terrestrial Species Communication Coordinator, WWF Indonesia
Email: [email protected], HP: +62 8111004397

Editor's Note
1. SVLK, Timber Verification and Legality System (SVLK) is a tracking system developed by stakeholders to ensure the legality of timber sources circulating and traded in Indonesia. SVLK was developed to encourage the implementation of applicable government regulations related to the trade and circulation of legal forest products in Indonesia.

2. FLEGT, Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT, or Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade in Forestry), which has an action plan in the form of EU action in response to the problem of illegal logging and illegal trade in wood products related to the European Union.

3. Wood products that have obtained a V-legal license automatically also get a FLEGT license, because SVLK has met the standards of compliance with timber regulations in EU countries.