Effective from October 30th 2020, This Decree establishes a legal framework to ensure that timber harvested, imported, processed, and exported in Vietnam is legal, especially for exports to the EU under the VPA/FLEGT Agreement.
Definition: Timber must be sourced, transported, and traded in compliance with Vietnamese laws. Exporting companies are classified into Group I (low risk) and Group II (higher risk), based on compliance history and capacity to manage legality.
FLEGT Licensing: Required for timber exports to the EU and issued by the Vietnam CITES Management Authority for eligible shipments.
Verification System: Includes procedures for verifying legality of:
- Domestic timber (from natural or planted forests)
- Imported timber
- Exported timber
Supply Chain Control: Covers all stages: harvesting, transportation, processing, trading, and exporting.
Transparency & Accountability: Enterprises must maintain records and allow inspections to verify legality.
This decree implements Vietnam’s commitments under the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the European Union (EU), aiming to combat illegal logging and promote sustainable forest management.