Verbatim report of proceedings

Thursday, 19 April 2012 - Strasbourg

6.1. EU-Central African Republic Voluntary Partnership Agreement on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived products to the EU (A7-0082/2012 - Elisabeth Köstinger) (vote)

Before the vote:

  Elisabeth Köstinger, rapporteur. – (DE) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the first two votes concern the EU’s voluntary partnership agreements with the African states of Liberia and the Central African Republic. The agreements will result in the establishment of a certification system that will ensure that timber is legally harvested and, subsequently, legally traded. Timber production is the most important sector of the economy in both of these African states. This will enable European companies, workers and consumers to be certain that imported timber originates from legal, certified sources.

I would like to thank all of the shadow rapporteurs and tall those who have contributed to the success of this report and in so doing have written an important chapter in the area of sustainability, environmental protection and the involvement of all relevant sections of the population in these regions, which are plagued by civil war.