COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2023/904

of 7 March 2023

on the conclusion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 207(3), first subparagraph, and Article 207(4), first subparagraph, in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a)(v) and Article 218(7) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Having regard to the consent of the European Parliament (1),

Whereas:

(1) On 21 May 2003, the Commission adopted a communication to the Council and the European Parliament entitled ‘Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT): Proposal for an EU Action Plan’. The Action Plan set out in that communication (‘the FLEGT Action Plan’) called for measures to address illegal logging by developing voluntary partnership agreements with timber-producing countries. The Council adopted its conclusions on the FLEGT Action Plan on 13 October 2003 and the European Parliament adopted its resolution on the subject on 11 July 2005.

(2) In accordance with Council Decision (EU) 2022/1974 (2), the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (‘the Agreement’) was signed on 15 December 2022, subject to its conclusion at a later date.

(3) The Agreement should be approved,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union is hereby approved on behalf of the Union (3).

Article 2

The President of the Council shall, on behalf of the Union, give the notification provided for in Article 33 of the Agreement (4).

Article 3

The Union shall be represented by the Commission in the Joint Monitoring and Review Committee set up under Article 20 of the Agreement.

The Member States may participate in meetings of the Joint Monitoring and Review Committee as members of the Union delegation.

Article 4

For the purpose of amending the Annexes to the Agreement under Article 27 of the Agreement, the Commission is authorised, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 11(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2173/2005 (5), to approve any such amendments on behalf of the Union.

Article 5

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Done at Brussels, 7 March 2023.

For the Council

The President

L. EDHOLM

(1)  Consent of 14 February 2023 (not yet published in the Official Journal).

(2)  Council Decision (EU) 2022/1974 of 13 October 2022 on the signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (

OJ L 271, 19.10.2022, p. 1

).

(3)  See page 3 of this Official Journal.

(4)  The date of entry into force of the Agreement will be published in the

Official Journal of the European Union

by the General Secretariat of the Council.

(5)  Council Regulation (EC) No 2173/2005 of 20 December 2005 on the establishment of a FLEGT licensing scheme for imports of timber into the European Community (

OJ L 347, 30.12.2005, p. 1

).