Discover all the details about the Guyana-EU FLEGT VPA.
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The Guyana-EU FLEGT VPA

Guyana is the first South American country to implement the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA). Guyana and the EU negotiated the terms of the VPA through a collaborative process, with both parties sharing the goal of fostering good forest governance and addressing illegality. The VPA negotiations began in December 2012, and the agreement concluded with its initialling in November 2018. The EU Council adopted the Decision on the VPA’s signing with Guyana in October 2022, followed by Guyana and the EU signing the agreement in December 2022. Guyana ratified the VPA in its parliament in April 2023 and is implementing the agreement. The first FLEGT license is expected to be issued in 2026.

FLEGT VPA

Guyana and the EU negotiated a FLEGT VPA until 2018, initialling the VPA in November of that same year to foster good forest governance and address illegal logging. Guyana and the EU signed the VPA in December 2022, and it was ratified nationally in April 2023. The VPA is now in its implementation phase.

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GTLAS

The Guyana Timber Legality Assurance System (GTLAS) is at the heart of the VPA. It is a verification system to verify the legality of timber products throughout the supply chain.

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FLEGT Licence

A FLEGT licence is a document that verifies the legality of timber products and facilitates the entry of those products into the EU market. Guyana will begin issuing FLEGT Licences when the GTLAS is operational.

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Resources

Download and read the VPA Annexes, laws and regulations related to the forest sector, application forms, and other helpful information for Forest Sector Operators (FSOs), Forest Sector Stakeholders, and the general public.