Oct 08, 2010. A formal signing of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the EU and Cameroon has taken place in Brussels, committing the African country to legal timber exports to Europe from July 2012.
EU reaches timber agreement with Cameroon
Oct 08, 2010. /Lesprom Network/. A formal signing of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) between the EU and Cameroon has taken place in Brussels, committing the African country to legal timber exports to Europe from July 2012, as TTJ reported.
The official signing, which follows the striking of an agreement earlier this year, means Cameroon is the third country to form a VPA with the EU, following similar deals with Ghana and the Republic of Congo.
“The agreement responds to the ever stronger expectations in Europe for verified legality of timber products,” said Andris Piebalgs, European commissioner for development.
“It will benefit the European consumers because they can be sure that when they buy wood from Cameroon, it is from legal origin.”
A national wood traceability system commitment to eradicate illegal logging underpins Cameroon’s effort towards good governance in the forest sector.
Cameroon is Africa’s biggest exporter of tropical hardwood to Europe and 80% of its total exports are shipped to the EU.
