The Guyana Timber Legality Assurance System (GTLAS) is at the heart of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA). GTLAS functions as a verification system that distinguishes between legal and illegally produced timber products.
The Guyana Timber Legality Assurance System (GTLAS) is at the heart of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA). GTLAS functions as a verification system that distinguishes between illegal and illegally produced timber products. It will link Guyana’s existing Wood Tracking System (WTS) to Guyana’s Legality Definition.
To issue FLEGT Licences, Guyana must ensure that it has a system that works in accordance with the national laws so that only legally produced timber is exported to the EU and the world.
Therefore, compliance checks and supply chain controls (from harvesting to the local market or global destination market, including the EU) are central to ensuring that timber products are legal. GTLAS will also verify the legality of imported timber products.
Within the Implementation Phase, preparatory work begins to develop the GTLAS and the other elements of VPA. Annex V of the Guyana-EU VPA describes the measures that will be in place during this period.
Journey to FLEGT Licensing through the elements of GTLAS (extracted from the JIF)
The Government ministries and agencies below will be in charge of verifying compliance of the Forest Sector Operators (FSOs) with the Legality Definition.
