The project, sponsored by the European Commission (EC) and The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), will be implemented in four years (2014-2018) with the total investment of 2.6 million Euro of which, 80% come from the EC aid and the remainder from the WWF’s counterpart funding.

The EU funded project helps the government, small and medium-sized timber processing enterprises (SMEs), civil social organisations (CSOs) and the communities living near the forests in some provinces bordering with Laos better understand and comply with the EU’s timber regulations.

VNAF Deputy Director General Nguyen Ba Ngai said that within the framework of Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Programme (EU FAO FLEGT Programme), Vietnam has officially negotiated with the EU on VPA project from November, 2010.

The launch of the project will contribute to improve capacity of  concerned parties in the process of VPA negotiations between Vietnam and the EU which are expected for completion by the end of this year, Ngai added. The VPA/FLEGT is the trade agreement between the Vietnamese Government and the EU to iron out snags production and exports of timber products to the EU market.