A first step in contributing to SFM is to help developing countries restrict and impede illegal logging activities.

Illegal logging and its associated trade not only threaten biodiversity in timber-producing countries (through overexploitation, depletion of scarce natural resources, destruction of ecosystems, etc.) but also have serious economic and social consequences (loss of revenue for local governments, corruption, impoverishment of rural communities that depend on forest products, etc.).

In 2003, the EU adopted an Action Plan for Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT Action Plan) to combat illegal logging and associated illegal trade. On the one hand this plan emphasises governance reform and capacity-building in producer countries to control illegal logging and that primarily through the development of Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPA’s) between the EU and timber-producing countries. The final aim of these agreements is to set up a licensing scheme in partner countries in order to ensure that only legally produced timber (identified by means of licenses issued in those producer countries) is exported to the EU. The framework has been set up by means of the FLEGT Regulations [91].

Indonesia is the first country to have fully implemented its licensing scheme and has been issuing licenses for the export of timber and timber products to the EU since 15 November 2016. Belgium has set up a control system to check whether the licensing obligation is being complied with by importers, using the European Commission online management tool TRACES. Belgium will continuously evaluate the national control system, contribute to the evaluation at EU level, make adjustments where necessary and will proactively anticipate the arrival of additional producer countries issuing FLEGT licenses.

Belgium should continue to support this initiative on the ground by initiating projects in timber-producing countries to prepare for the establishment of voluntary partnership agreements, as has been the case in the DRC.

On the other hand the plan also underlines demand-side measures to reduce the consumption of illegal timber within the EU.
In this context, the EU adopted “Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 October 2010 laying down the obligations of operators who place timber and timber products on the market” in 2010. This Regulation, together with its Implementing Regulation [92], Delegated Act [93]and Guidelines [94], prohibits the placing on the EU market of illegal timber and timber products from any origin as of 3 March 2013.
Belgium will continue to focus on the appropriate enforcement of this Regulation and actively participate in its evaluation. In this context, additional staff were recruited in 2017.

Belgium will continue to focus on the development of public procurement policies to promote sustainable management of forests. Belgium, for example, concluded a sectoral agreement in 2011 to increase the share of primary timber products from sustainably managed forests on the Belgian market. That sectoral agreement will be renewed in 2019 and the scope will be extended to more secondary timber products such as paper and packaging, furniture, pallets, etc.

For CITES-listed wood, Belgium will work closely with the countries of origin to ensure that CITES permits are only issued when a clear non-detriment-finding has been carried out and the legality and sustainability of the tropical wood is proven. In case of seizures of large quantities of CITES-listed wood, and, where possible, the subsequent public sale of this timber, revenue will be invested in local projects to enhance local sustainable use of forests.

Agricultural production, one-third of which is internationally traded, is the main driver of deforestation in the world. Conversion of forest to agricultural land itself is responsible for an estimated 80 % of forest loss in tropical and subtropical regions. Therefor Belgium will support and actively contribute to upcoming initiatives on the elimination of deforestation from the production of agricultural commodities such as soy, cacao, palm oil and beef.