General documents - Council Statement of 23 February 2021 on agreement to reduce illegal timber logging - Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America

EU and Honduras sign agreement to reduce illegal timber logging

Today, the EU and Republic of Honduras signed in Brussels a voluntary partnership agreement (VPA) on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the EU. The agreement will ensure that all Honduran timber and timber products imported in the EU are legally sourced and licensed.

Honduras is the first Latin American country (and the eighth overall) to sign a voluntary partnership agreement with the EU under the Action Plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT). The agreement sets up a timber legality assurance system in Honduras which assesses timber logging with requirements similar to the ones set in the EU Timber Regulation; it will enable the country to issue FLEGT licences. This licensing will also support Honduras' efforts (as well as other countries' who have signed similar VPAs) to meet equivalent legal requirements of markets beyond the EU. This process enhances the EU's sustainable development and trade goals and significantly contributes to the overall objective of reducing illegal logging.

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