The VPA is a legally-binding bilateral trade agreement that aims to improve forest governance and promote trade in legal timber from Vietnam to the EU. Under the VPA, Vietnam will develop Timber Legality Assurance Systems (TLAS) to verify that its timber exports are legal, and the EU has agreed to accept only licensed imports from […]
VPA Elements
The VPA between the EU and Vietnam includes 27 articles in written text and nine technical annexes as follows:
Impacts of the VPA
VPAs are among the key tools of the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Government and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan of 2003. As of mid-2016, 15 countries were negotiating or implementing VPAs with the EU. Vietnam and the EU began negotiating the VPA in 2010. On 11 May 2017, Vietnam and the EU initialed the VPA. Initialing […]