Indonesia creates history: the world's first legal timber licensing scheme enters into force

Indonesia inaugurates first shipments of certified timber to the EU

Jakarta, 24 November 2016 – The Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, and the Ministries of Environment, Forestry, Foreign Affairs and Trade symbolically awarded the first ever FLEGT (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade) licenses to responsible Indonesian companies committed to exporting legal timber to the EU. The EU Ambassador, Vincent Guérend, and Ambassadors of EU Member States, attended and celebrated a turning point in the global fight to end illegal logging.

The licensing scheme sets a broader precedent for responsible producers and responsible buyers working together towards sustainable development objectives through TRADE4ALL: for healthy ecosystems and climate, for rights and livelihoods and for thriving economies. Indonesia has developed a robust, credible system to verify the legality of timber and timber products, which has been and will continue to be subject to the scrutiny of independent auditors and forest monitors from civil society.

The EU pays tribute to the Government of Indonesia, the industry and the civil society who have worked so hard to reach this milestone. Yet, all also acknowledge that FLEGT, or any new system of this scale, cannot be watertight from day one. Enforcement, and continuous improvement thereof, will be the litmus test, and the EU sees reasons for hope in the bold decisions taken recently by Indonesian courts against illegal logging. Indonesia has shown what is possible when governments, civil society and private sector come together to find common ground.

The EU hopes this achievement inspires similar action in other countries and sectors, with similar benefits for governance, biodiversity and low carbon development.