6 March 2014, EU FLEGT Facility news - Representatives of Indonesia, the EU Delegation to Indonesia and the EU FLEGT Facility met in Jakarta on 28–29 January 2014 and marked progress on VPA implementation. Indonesia's representatives included officials from the ministries of Forestry, Trade and Foreign Affairs and leaders from civil society and the private sector. Participants reviewed the joint Indonesia–EU action plan on VPA implementation, an outgrowth of the 2013 joint assessment of Indonesia's timber legality assurance system, known as SVLK.

Indonesian officials reported progress on most identified actions. The Government plans to issue two new regulations on the SVLK and a third on imports. Officials shared their initial ideas for the regulatory reforms with the EU.

Acknowledging the complexity of the remaining issues in the action plan and the work needed to maintain stakeholder participation, the two parties extended the timeframes outlined in the action plan.

Indonesia and the EU also discussed the next joint SVLK assessment, which they agreed to begin in the second half of 2014, after the first meeting of the joint implementation committee.

After the meeting, the Ministry of Forestry organised two regional multistakeholder consultation workshops in Makassar and Yogyakarta in February on the draft regulations. A national consultation workshop is planned for 19 March.

Source: http://www.euflegt.efi.int/home