Myanmar and EU Discuss Forestry Cooperation

Nov 5, 2014 | Mizzima
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The European Union and Myanmar’s Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry recently held discussions about how Myanmar can encourage sustainable management of the country's forests and eliminate the illegal timber trade.

The two parties met in Nay Pyi Taw on October 20 and looked at how Myanmar could engage in the "FLEGT Action Plan," according to a press release from the European External Action Service November 4.

In 2003, the EU adopted the Action Plan for Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) which includes measures, for both the EU and wood-exporting countries, to fight illegal logging and promote trade in legally harvested timber and timber products. At the core of the EU FLEGT Action Plan are Voluntary Partnership Agreements or VPA with timber-producing countries that wish to eliminate illegal timber from their trade with the EU, according to the press release.