The European Union is now unconditionally accepting Indonesian timber products that come with a wood certification document based on the Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK), EU Ambassador Julian Wilson said on Tuesday.

“If a product carries the logo V-legal, it can be ascertained that the product is legal and has clear origins so that there is no need to impose additional controls,” Wilson told a press conference in Jakarta.

The European Union will begin imposing additional controls on its timber product imports under the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) starting in March. The program aims to ascertain whether wood products are derived from legal sources.

Indonesia developed the SVLK as part of its commitment to curbing trade in illegally harvested wood. The verification system was effective for Indonesia’s wood exports as of Jan. 1.

Indonesia and the European Union are also working on a voluntary partnership agreement on law enforcement, management and trade of forestry goods (FLEGT VPA) that is expected to be signed in April. The ratification process is expected to be completed by September.

The FLEGT VPA will provide unequivocal legal recognition of Indonesia’s SVLK certification system. Wilson said that although the partnership is only expected to come into force later this year, he believed that there would be no hindrance to the importation of legal timber and wood products from Indonesia.

“The EUTR will not give rise to any additional control at the borders of EU countries,” he said.

Wilson also promised to work together with the Indonesian government and other concerned parties to promote the recognition of the SVLK among EU consumers.

Hadi Daryanto, the secretary general of the Forestry Ministry, welcomed the EU recognition of SVLK certification, and expressed hope that Indonesia’s forestry product exports would rise substantially from the current $1.2 billion annual level.

“The European Union is one of the main markets for Indonesian forestry products,” Hadi said.

Meanwhile, Purwadi Soeprihanto, the executive director of the Association of Indonesian Forestry Entrepreneurs (APHI), said he hoped that the recognition would rapidly enter into force.

“So that there is a guarantee that the wood product exported is really free from any additional test when entering the European Union,” said Purwadi, who also attended the press conference.

Based on data from the Forestry Ministry, in the first 22 days of 2013, there were 3,427 legal certifications issued for exports covering a volume of 1,011,1023 square kilometers and with destinations covering 94 countries.
 

Source: Jakarta Globe

Posted and edited by Riona, Hanbao News Department

Contact: rionach@cltimber.com