The European program FLEGT, a lever for the certification

Legality certifications and certifications of sustainable forest management are private systems and their referential have been elaborated by private bodies.  Flegt (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade) is quite different. Observations show that illegal logging causes inestimable environmental damage, substantial losses in government revenues due to lost tax receipts and that it encourages corruption and weapons trade in times of armed conflicts. As a consequence, the European Union has implemented the Flegt initiative in the fight against illegal felling and trade of timber.

The terms of the agreements in EU negotiations with the producing countries state that those countries accept to guarantee the legality of timber entering the EU. These agreements are called VPA (Voluntary Partnership Agreement). In mutual agreement with the EU, those countries agree upon a definition of legality and necessary means of control in order for it to be applied.  The countries may then issue Flegt licences for all timber exported to the European Union.

As a mean to strengthen the system, the EU is studying the implementation of a legislation to forbid illegal timber on the market.   

Trade in illegal timber is a major obstacle to sustainable forest management in tropical countries. The systems mentioned are indispensable and strongly supported by IFIA.