The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is stepping up support for the legal timber trade in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic with the official launch of two new projects that will strengthen the roles of civil society and the private sector in improving forest law enforcement, governance and trade (FLEGT) in the country.

Implemented by local partners with support from the FAO-EU FLEGT Programme, the projects will further the development of a bilateral trade agreement between Lao PDR and the European Union (EU) known as a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA). While VPA negotiations have only recently begun, once they are concluded, signed and ratified, FLEGT-licensed timber products from Lao PDR will eventually enjoy “green-lane” approval, which gives them access to enter the EU market.

VPAs are a key element in the EU’s FLEGT Action Plan, which aims to combat illegal logging and ensure forests contribute to sustainable development, including efforts to address climate change.