Jakarta, March 10, 2013. The European Union (EU) regulation for timber industry is coming to EU countries, which was officiated on March 3rd, 2013, has showed the EU’s seriousness to give enforcement to the importers from EU countries who cannot guarantee the legality of the timber products they purchased. In the mean time, Indonesian Government has implemented legal timber policy named as Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK), which has started in 2009 through the Regulation of Ministry of Forestry No. P38/Menhut-II/2009. This certification is a mandatory for timber products and timberbased products, including pulp and paper industry, applied for all big, medium and small scales (SMEs).
 
Since year 2007, Indonesia and the European Union has started dialog to discuss agreement for eliminating illegal timber trade between the two governments called Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA). The most important point is recognizing SVLK as FLEGT license, that Indonesia’s timber products could be accepted in EU countries from due diligence process (EUTR verification). 

The readiness for SMEs toward certification has its own challenge. Beside certification cost, the SMEs raw material sources are generally vary and complex with their limited resource and capacity, compared to the big company. To prepare SMEs in Indonesia to face recent global timber industry, WWF-Indonesia in partnership with ASMINDO supported by European Union, are working together in activities under SWITCH ASIA program “Promoting The Implementation of Timber Legality Assurance FLEGT License as a Key Step to Sustainable Production and Consumption in Indonesia’s wood processing Industry”. The aim of this activity is increasing the capacity of over 300 SMEs in Indonesia toward SVLK in the next three years. It also promote green procurement policy to buy legal timber in domestic market.
 
“We express our gratitude to everyone in the industry, civil society, and the government in Indonesia, who have worked so hard to get Indonesia’s timber producers be prepare for this transformation. It is particularly good to see that small producers have been able to work as a group to get SLVK certification. Some of the best craftmanships came from small operation accross Indonesia, and it is great that this operators have access to the EU markets. The European consumers could also utilize their beautiful products for years to come,” said Collin Crooks, Vice Ambassador of EU Delegation for Indonesia.
 
ASMINDO Chairman, Ambar Tjahyono said, ”Indonesia’s furniture demand is constantly increasing even in this unfortunate economic situatio. Our industry is still developing and able to compete in global market. As association for timber industry and SMEs, we are welcome this partnership with WWF as a key step to enhance Indonesia’s SMEs.”
 
“Small scale industry/ SMEs are the backbone for Indonesia’s economic growth. Thus, it is important for WWF-Indonesia to assist the readiness of SMEs industry to achieve legality certificate (SVLK),” said Anwar Purwoto, Director WWF-Indonesia for Forestry, Terrestrial Species and Freshwater Program. He added, ”Furthermore, the timber certification for SMEs can press down deforestation rate in Indonesia.”
 
 
For further question and information, please contact:
 
Aditya Bayunanda, GFTN-Indonesia Program Manager
abayunanda@wwf.or.id, +62818 265588
Dita Ramadhani, Responsible Trade & Networking Coordinator GFTN – Indonesia
dramadhani@wwf.or.id, +62821 100 79992
Indrawan, Vice Executive Director of ASMINDO
indra_o@yahoo.com, +628161623964

 
 
About WWF-Indonesia
 
WWF-Indonesia is an independent part of WWF network and its affiliate, the world’s largest global conservation organizations that works in 100 countries. WWF-Indonesia’s ultimate goal is to stop and eventually reverse environmental degradation and to build a future where people live in harmony with nature. WWF-Indonesia's mission includes: Promoting strong conservation ethics, awareness and actions in Indonesia society; facilitating multi-stakeholders efforts to preserve biodiversity & ecological processes on eco-regional scale; advocating for policies, law and law enforcement that support conservation; and promoting conservation for the well-being of people, through sustainable use of natural resources. (www.wwf.or.id)

 
About GFTN
 
The Global & Forest Trade Network (GFTN) is WWF’s initiative to eliminate illegal logging and encourage the improvement of forest management. By facilitating trade links between companies committed to achieving and supporting responsible forestry, GFTN uphold an independent forest certification, based on multi-party as an important tool in promoting forest management and trade in wood products is responsible throughout the chain of raw materials. Through a membership scheme, GFTN-Indonesia currently has 37 member companies (13 HPH / HTI and 24 industrial companies) (www.wwf.or.id/gftn)
 

About ASMINDO
 
ASMINDO (Association of Indonesian Furniture Industry and Handycraft) is formal association in Indonesia to shelter all furniture and handycraft companies, primary and secondary process company. ASMINDO is an independent organization, non politic, and non profit and has 24 Local Office and more than 2,000 members in Indonesia. (www.indofurnicraft.or.id)

 
 
About European Union (EU)
 
European Union (EU) is unique partnership in economy and politic between 27 countries in Europe. In half century, the EU succeeded to create peace, stability and weatlhy, help to increase livelihood, create single Euro currency, and progressively developing single Europe market where citizen, goods, services and capital can have free trade in EU countries. In Indonesia, EU has find its equal partners that hold same values in democracy, variety and development. As the same economic entity value, EU and Indonesia has benefits from working together. So far, EU and Indonesia are partnering in education, environment and climate change sector, emergency response for law, trade and investment.

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