• Working group explored Thailand – EU partnership in the context of the new EU regulation on deforestation-free products

    Still, under deliberation by the European Parliament, the proposal for the regulation on deforestation-free products sets to reduce the EU’s contribution to global deforestation by regulating the selling and exporting of 6 commodities; palm oil, cattle, wood, coffee, cocoa, and soy. /*! elementor - v3.6.2 - 04-04-2022 */ .elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#818a91;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#818a91;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block} On 11 July 2022, at the 5th Ad-Hoc Working Group Meeting, a representative from the European Delegation to Thailand gave the first briefing on the regulation on deforestation-free products to Thailand government agencies and FLEGT VPA stakeholders.Background of the regulation on deforestation-free productsThe legislative proposal was conceived from the findings of the EUTR and FLEGT Fitness Check, which pointed out that only ensuring the legality of wood products is not enough to curb deforestation since it does not take into account one of the major activities that drive deforestation, forest conversion for agricultural use.With the overwhelming support from the 27 EU member states and popular international public consultation, the draft regulation on deforestation-free products was announced in 2020 and submitted to the European Parliament for deliberation.The regulation states that only products from the 6 commodities that are deforestation-free, comply with the law of the producing countries, and are covered by due diligence declaration, can be placed in or exported from the EU market.Forest Partnership as the bilateral cooperation in the context of the regulation on deforestation-free productsTo support producing countries in their endeavor to stop deforestation, the producing countries and the EU can form a “Forest Partnership.” The EU will support producing countries in their transition into the new regulation and promote the production and trade of deforestation-free products. Taking a holistic approach to the new partnership, producing countries will have the opportunity to discover and work with the EU to halt deforestation.Building on the success of FLEGT As the model partnership between the EU and producing countries to combat deforestation, lessons learned from FLEGT VPA, like the multi-stakeholder participatory process and the development of the legality assurance system, would be reflected and modeled after in the next chapter of Thailand – EU partnership.For more information on the regulation on deforestation-free products: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/proposal-regulation-deforestation-free-products_en #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */


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  • FLEGT VPA Ad-Hoc Working Group: Gearing up for the online self-declaration system and self-declaration of reclaimed timber products

    27 May 2022 - At the FLEGT VPA Ad-Hoc Working Group 4/2022, the Royal Forest Department, with support from the UN-REDD Initiative on Sustainable Forest Trade in the Lower Mekong Region, presented a website - “Sustainable Forest Management.” This website will allow operators to fill up and print out the self-declaration form for certifying the legal source of private land timber online. The website will help simplify the documentation process to facilitate all operators. /*! elementor - v3.6.2 - 04-04-2022 */ .elementor-widget-image-box .elementor-image-box-content{width:100%}@media (min-width:768px){.elementor-widget-image-box.elementor-position-left .elementor-image-box-wrapper,.elementor-widget-image-box.elementor-position-right .elementor-image-box-wrapper{display:-webkit-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex}.elementor-widget-image-box.elementor-position-right .elementor-image-box-wrapper{text-align:right;-webkit-box-orient:horizontal;-webkit-box-direction:reverse;-ms-flex-direction:row-reverse;flex-direction:row-reverse}.elementor-widget-image-box.elementor-position-left .elementor-image-box-wrapper{text-align:left;-webkit-box-orient:horizontal;-webkit-box-direction:normal;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row}.elementor-widget-image-box.elementor-position-top .elementor-image-box-img{margin:auto}.elementor-widget-image-box.elementor-vertical-align-top .elementor-image-box-wrapper{-webkit-box-align:start;-ms-flex-align:start;align-items:flex-start}.elementor-widget-image-box.elementor-vertical-align-middle .elementor-image-box-wrapper{-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center}.elementor-widget-image-box.elementor-vertical-align-bottom .elementor-image-box-wrapper{-webkit-box-align:end;-ms-flex-align:end;align-items:flex-end}}@media (max-width:767px){.elementor-widget-image-box .elementor-image-box-img{margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-bottom:15px}}.elementor-widget-image-box .elementor-image-box-img{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image-box .elementor-image-box-title a{color:inherit}.elementor-widget-image-box .elementor-image-box-wrapper{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image-box .elementor-image-box-description{margin:0}"Sustainable Forest Management" website for online self-declaration and resource and production managementUnder the same website, farmers can also use the function to input data on their plantation – trees grown and harvested and production output, allowing farmers to monitor their production free without charge. This function aims to make sustainable forest management achievable for every farmer. Not only that, this will centralize the data of plantations in Thailand into one system for the most accurate assessment of Thailand’s forest land unit and forest resources. Right now, the system is still in the testing phase. The Royal Forest Department will make an official launch soon. Traceability of reclaimed timber with self-declarationTo drive the reclaimed timber industry; the sustainable approach to wood consumption, the working group passed a Guideline on Self-Declaration for Reclaimed Timber Products. Using this guideline, operators can declare the legality of their products, facilitating their supply chain control and increasing product value. As the Forest Act does not regulate reclaimed timber as a processing material, this guideline will close this gap in the country’s supply chain control, strengthening the traceability of reclaimed timber. Previously, the working group has adopted self-declaration of reclaimed timber for in-province transportation, another unregulated supply chain control point. 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  • Timber Insider: Prasert Iamdeengamlert talked sawmills in the changing market

    A sawmill is a place of primary processing where timber was turned into lumber readied to be further processed into a final product. Sawmill plays an essential role in…


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  • A strong multi-stakeholder participatory process

    With more than 50 organizations across sectors: government, private and CSOs, actively involved as FLEGT VPA committee, the committees draft the FLEGT VPA agreement, national regulatory review, various studies,…


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  • Development of electronic systems and tools to improve traceability of Thai timber

    Efficient timber tracking tools and systems are indispensable to legality and supply chain control. The FLEGT VPA has financed and provided technical guidance to various technological development, such as…


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  • Adoption of Guidelines for Self-Declaration

    Through the collaboration of stakeholders in the FLEGT VPA Ad-Hoc Working Group, the Guideline for Self-Declaration has been produced. The Royal Forest Department adopted and announced the Guideline for…


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  • FLEGT VPA Ad-Hoc Working Group advocating for the amendment of regulation on timber on Sor Por Gor

    10 Mar 2022 – The Ad-Hoc Working Group met at the regular meeting to review feedbacks on the Thai Timber Legality Definition and Public Disclosure of Information Annex from…


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  • Four Annexes adopted at the First Sub-Committee for NEG 4 signaling the prospect of agreement signing next year

    23 Feb. 2022 – As the Fourth Thailand-EU FLEGT VPA Negotiation (NEG 4) is scheduled to take place this year, the Sub-Committee met to adopt the draft Annexes before…


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  • FLEGT VPA Ad-Hoc Working Group 1/2022: passing the guideline for self-declaration of timber on Sor Por Kor

    Kicking off 2022, the FLEGT VPA Ad-Hoc Working Group approved another two drafts: Thai Timber Legality Assurance System Annex and Thai Supply Chain Controls Annex, for submitting to the…


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  • TEFSO Newsletter Issue No. 26 (Sep. – Dec. 2021)

    In this issue: Digitizing Thailand’s Timber Verification 3 Options to Verify Timber on Private Land Composite Wood Industry: Market Situation, Sustainability and Role in FLEGT VPA with Ping-Hsun Wang …


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  • Greeting the holiday season with progress to the FLEGT VPA process: The working group concluded another two Annexes and assessed RFD Single Window plan

    20 Dec. 2021 – Before heading off to holiday, FLEGT VPA ad-hoc working group met at the last meeting of this year to review draft Annexes; Thai Timber Legality…


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