Malta’s performance in barometer survey slightly worse
Implementation of the Action Plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade
The international non-governmental organisation WWF, of which Nature Trust (Malta) is a privileged partner, had been commissioned by the EU barometer to carry out a survey across all EU member states on the implementation of the Action Plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT), which was endorsed in 2003.
The aim was to gauge the committed of EU member state governments with respect to the implementation of the action plan.
In Malta’s case, the results show that the country has performed slightly worse in the 2012 barometer when compared with 2007. There is no inter-departmental collaboration on the FLEGT action and regulation, and the EU Timber Regulation.
With regard to the FLEGT regulation, the competent authority has been established. The public procurement policy for sustainable/legal timber products addresses a number of products, but is voluntary if the targets are less than 100%.
Malta claims that good reporting procedures are in place for paper. It is not involved with voluntary partnership agreements (VPAs), and work on the EU Timber Regulation has started, but is still in the early stages.
This 2012 barometer is the 5th edition, and comes after a four-year break. It assesses progress on three measures set out in the action plan:
- the FLEGT regulation (which facilitates the import of licensed timber from producer countries which have negotiated a voluntary partnership agreement (VPA) with the EU);
- development cooperation focused at addressing illegal logging in producer countries (through the VPA negotiations); and
- green public procurement.
It also assesses progress on a fourth, separate measure, the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) which came about as a result of the FLEGT action plan. This will make it an offence to place illegal timber or listed wood products on the EU market.
The FLEGT regulation needs to be in place before VPA-licensed timber can enter the EU. The first licensed shipments, according to some governments, are expected in 2012. The EUTR will come into force in March 2013. Various implementing measures need to be in place in 2012 to facilitate this. The other two measures covered by the barometer are ongoing.
Further information can be found on the website http://barometer.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/government_barometer/
WWF is represented in Malta by Nature Trust (Malta), which was the international organisation’s privileged partner for this survey
