Vietnam and EU complete VPA negotiations on forest governance

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan and Astrid Schomaker, Director for Global Sustainable Development at the European Commission's Directorate General for the Environment, have initialled the content on a voluntary partnership agreement (VPA) on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT).

Key elements of the VPA include commitment to legal reform, public disclosure of information and improvements in forest governance. The agreement aims to ensure that all timber and timber products destined for the EU market from a partner country comply with the laws of that country. Vietnam is among 15 countries negotiating the VPA with the EU.