6 March 2014, EU FLEGT Facility news - The joint implementation committee for the VPA between Cameroon and the EU has outlined a priority action plan for implementation of the VPA throughout 2014. The committee agreed on the action plan in December during its fifth meeting.

According to the action plan, VPA implementation in Cameroon will focus on developing an Information System (SIGIF II) to centralise data on legal compliance, disseminating FLEGT-licensing procedures and improving transparency of information on the forest sector.

Stakeholder engagement in the process remains a high priority. The committee has scheduled quarterly meetings, with the aim of supporting both national dialogue and bilateral discussions with the EU on the progress of VPA implementation.

During the December meeting, the EU enquired about Cameroon's view on the legal status of conversion timber from large-scale agricultural projects, given the legality definition in the VPA. One suggestion from the meeting was that Cameroon open a national dialogue to explore approaches to addressing the legality of conversion timber more comprehensively.

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