COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2024/1413

of 29 April 2024

on the conclusion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and timber products to the European Union (FLEGT)

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(3) and the first subparagraph of Article 207(4), in conjunction with Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (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 ‘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 action plan were adopted in October 2003 (2) and a European Parliament resolution on the subject was adopted on 11 July 2005 (3).

(2) In line with Council Decision (EU) 2024/1412 (4), the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and timber products (‘the Agreement’) was signed on 19 February 2024, 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 Republic of Côte d’Ivoire on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and timber products is approved on behalf of the Union (5).

Article 2

The President of the Council shall, on behalf of the Union, give the notification provided for in Article 31 of the Agreement (6).

Article 3

The Commission shall represent the Union within the Joint Implementation Committee set up under Article 19 of the Agreement.

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

Article 4

For the purpose of amending the annexes to the Agreement in accordance with Article 26 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 (7), 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 Luxembourg, 29 April 2024.

For the Council

The President

D. CLARINVAL

(1) Consent of 10 April 2024 (not yet published in the Official Journal).

(2)

OJ C 268, 7.11.2003, p. 1

(3)

OJ C 157 E, 6.7.2006, p. 482

(4) Council Decision (EU) 2024/1412 of 19 February 2024 on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and timber products to the European Union (FLEGT) (

OJ L, 2024/1412, 27.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2024/1412/oj

(5) The text of the Agreement is published in OJ L, 2024/1414 of 27.5.2024.

(6) 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.

(7) 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

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2024/1413/oj

ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)