Licensed timber export feat lauded
Ghana’s milestone as the first African country to export timber and timber products to the European Union (EU) markets under the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licensing regime has been celebrated as a blueprint for forest stewardship and sustainable environmental protection for Africa and the rest of the world.
After making history as the second country in the world to enter the EU market with timber under the new FLEGT licence regime, many countries can now turn to Ghana for useful lessons on how to achieve a similar feat.
At an exhibition held in Brussels, Belgium, last week, Ghanaian exporters exchanged FLEGT licence with Belgian importers and shared experiences with other stakeholders across the world.
The ceremony marked a symbolic landmark achievement in the legal and sustainable timber trade between Africa and Europe.
The FLEGT celebration featured a private sector exhibition, where Ghanaian companies, including Samartex Timber and Plywood Co. Ltd., Tekura Designs Ltd., Logs and Lumber Ltd. and Miro Forestry Ghana Ltd., displayed secondary and tertiary wood products.
“Today, our Timber Legality Assurance System (TLAS) integrates data from across the entire forestry value chain, linking forest management, transportation, processing and trade on a single cohesive digital platform.
This system has not only improved transparency but has empowered us to make decisions based on evidence, respond to challenges in real time and plan more strategically for long-term sustainability,” he added.
Dr Brown said it was on the basis of that system that he could assure the world that a FLEGT licence from Ghana was a firm assurance of timber from legally verified sources and responsibly managed forests.
Ghana’s Ambassador to Belgium and the EU, Henry Tachie-Menson, said it was refreshing that after over 16 years of following rigorous processes, Ghana had finally entered the EU market with timber under the new licensing regime.
He said the roll out of the FLEGT licence regime would ensure sustainable management of timber and forest resources, protect the environment, and respond to the needs of the inhabitants of forest areas.
Special document
The Director for Africa at the Directorate-General for International Partnerships at the European Commission, Geza Strammer, described the FLEGT licence as a document that would bridge the gap between Ghanaian timber exporters and EU buyers.
“The FLEGT licence is a piece of paper passing from a Ghanaian exporter to a European importer; but as everyone knows, this is no ordinary piece of paper.
It is a forest law enforcement, governance, and trade licence; a document 15 years in the making; the product of dedication, partnership and trust between Ghana and the European Union,” he said.
The co-founder of the European Timber Trade Federation, Armand Stockmans, spoke highly of the quality of timber from Ghana and said the FLEGT licence regime would facilitate timber export.
Mr Stockmans, who has been a buyer of Ghanaian timber for over 40 years, said he was confident that the country would play to the rules of the new licensing regime.
