Vietnam, EU wrap up talks
Play
Vietnam and the European Union (EU) concluded the third round of talks on an agreement on timber exports in Brussels.
The Vietnamese delegation was led by Vo Dai Hai, deputy head of the Forestry Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, while the EU delegation was headed by Hugo Maria Schally, head of International Agreements and Trade at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Environment.
The two sides discussed issues related to the definition of which trees can be licensed to be legally logged and exported, the development of the Timber Legality Assurance System (TLAS) and a list of timber products.
Vietnam is preparing a TLAS comprising of wood products for both domestic and export markets.
The two sides agreed on an updated roadmap for technical meetings and the fourth round of negotiations scheduled for next April.
Both sides expressed their hope to conclude the round of talks in September 2013.
