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By Leonard GildarieGovernment and the European Union (EU) have commenced negotiations on a process aimed to stamp out the trade of illegal logs and at the same time, for this country to secure its markets in that powerful bloc.With a half of a billion persons in the EU, Guyana over the last four years or so, has traded almost US$30M ($6B) in goods with businesses there.Natural Resources Minister, Robert Persaud, (3rd left) and EU Ambassador, Robert Kopecký with forestry officials.However, new measures by the union, similar to the Kimberley Process to stop the trade in conflict diamonds, have been introduced by the EU which will have far-reaching consequences for Guyana’s logging industry, if there is non compliance.Once the agreement, targeted to be signed by 2015, becomes a reality, loggers and other stakeholders will have to ensure that their record-keeping capacity is in keeping with regulations set by the EU. This is to allow better tracking of logs from its source.Already the US has in place, similar measures… the “Lacey Act”…. to fight global illegal logging.The European Parliament and European Council had approved the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (EU FLEGT) in 2003. It prohibits the sale of timber logged illegally under the rules of the country of origin. In addition, companies must use a system of ‘due diligence’ to ascertain that the timber they sell in the EU was harvested legally.Guyana has started several stakeholders meetings with operators and regulators alike to discuss the implications and to plot the way forward.During a joint press conference with Natural Resources Minister, Robert Persaud and EU Ambassador, Robert Kopecký on Monday,Artemi Panarin Jersey, the officials noted that the negotiations for a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) between Guyana and the EU would be easy since there is a common appreciation of the factors.According to the Ambassador, the FLEGT program could be considered the “Kimberly Process” of logs and will help in stamping out illegal logging and preserving Guyana’s pristine forests.The diplomat noted that EU remains a big player in world trade with over 500 million persons living in its member states…residents who want woods, logs and furniture.According to Minister Persaud,NFL Jerseys From China, the onus is on government to ensure the preservation of the EU market, with Guyana facing a possible unthinkable loss if the issue is not addressed.He called on donors to assist Guyana with resources during the negotiation. Guyana may have to “fine tune” current monitoring systems by government regulator, the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the Minister admitted.He noted that the EU FLEGT program encourages more value-adding.Guyana possesses approximately 18.3 million hectares of tropical rainforest, which cover roughly 87% of the country (21.1 million hectares).According to the joint statement by the Ministry and the EU,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, illegal logging and its associated trade, leads to worldwide sustainable economic,Cheap Sports Jerseys, social, and environmental damage, involving financial, technical and trade links between companies and individuals in both timber-producing and timber-consuming countries.“Therefore, the combat against these illegal activities is not solely the responsibility of the producer countries,China Jerseys Cheap, but is also the responsibility of consumer countries.”The agreement will be legally binding on both parties once negotiations are completed and the agreement is concluded.“When fully operational, the system provides confidence to the EU buyers that Guyana’s timber products were legally sourced. The VPA will be applied to all timber exports on a list of forest products defined during negotiations with the European Union. The system can optionally be developed to cover forest products to all other exporting markets.”Informal consultations to date have resulted in an understanding amongst Guyanese stakeholders on the major issues that need to be addressed during the negotiation process, the statement said.According to the joint statement, also to be considered are the implications that a VPA would have on multiple land uses such as agriculture, forestry and mining; the impact on indigenous peoples on their titled lands in regard to commercial and subsistence activities.It is the hope that Guyana and the European Union have agreed to commence formal negotiations later this year with the objective of concluding negotiations on a VPA by September 2015.“Negotiations will also take into account the implications on the non-timber sector,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, in particular the extractive sector. Guyana and the EU anticipate that the conclusion and effective implementation of the VPA will contribute to the sustainable management of Guyana’s forests rural employment and economic development.”