In view of the negative consequences of illegal logging, including environmental degradation, the loss of important public financial resources, the weakening of the living conditions of indigenous peoples and riparian populations, the European Union has undertaken to put in place an ambitious action plan to counter illegal logging and related trade: the FLEGT Action Plan. Launched in 2003, this initiative aims to improve forest governance, create an attractive investment framework and involve all stakeholders (including the private sector, civil society and local communities) in forest management. The FLEGT Action Plan includes the negotiation and signature of a FLEGT VPA with producer countries and the establishment of a Timber Regulation in the European Union (TREU). Many African (Ghana, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Liberia), Asian and Latin American countries are joining this process. The negotiation and implementation of a FLEGT-VPA is based on the principle of effective and active participation of all stakeholders in efforts to improve forest governance.

The VPA-FLEGT between the European Union and Cameroon was signed on 6 October 2010 and ratified by Decree 2011/238 of 9 August 2011. The transparency of information made public, introduced for the first time in the Cameroon-EU FLEGT-VPA is an innovation and a significant step forward, in line with Cameroon’s leadership in the promotion and good governance in the forestry sector.