COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2020/2185

of 18 December 2020

on the signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Honduras 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 the first subparagraph of Article 207(4) in conjunction with Article 218(5) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) In May 2003 the Commission adopted a communication to the European Parliament and to the Council 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. Council conclusions on the FLEGT Action Plan were adopted in October 2003 and a European Parliament resolution on the subject was adopted on 11 July 2005.

(2) On 5 December 2005 the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with timber-producing countries on partnership agreements to implement the FLEGT Action Plan.

(3) On 20 December 2005 the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 2173/2005 (1), which established a FLEGT licensing scheme for imports of timber into the Union from countries with which the Union has concluded voluntary partnership agreements.

(4) Negotiations with the Republic of Honduras for a Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Honduras on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (‘the Agreement’) were successfully concluded with the initialling of the Agreement on 14 June 2018.

(5) The Agreement should be signed on behalf of the Union, subject to its conclusion at a later date,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The signing of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Honduras on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union is hereby approved on behalf of the Union, subject to its conclusion (2).

Article 2

The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate the person(s) empowered to sign the Agreement on behalf of the Union.

Article 3

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

Done at Brussels, 18 December 2020.

For the Council

The President

M. ROTH

(1)  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

).

(2)  The text of the Agreement will be published together with the decision on its conclusion.