The FLEGT licensing system (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade), which guarantees the legal trade of timber products imported from countries that have signed a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the European Union, entered into force for Ghana on October 8, 2025. This addition represents a significant step forward in the fight against illegal logging and the promotion of forest governance, joining to Indonesia, which has been using this system since 2016 (Indonesia’s first FLEGT licenses were issued on November 15, 2016).
Other countries such as Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo, Liberia, Vietnam, Honduras, and Côte d’Ivoire are in the process of joining the FLEGT licensing program.
What is the purpose of the FLEGT system?
Its goal is to ensure that imported timber complies with the legislation of the country of origin, combating illegal logging and promoting forest governance.
This system is mainly regulated by Council Regulation (EC) No 2173/2005 and its implementing rules, such as Regulation (EC) No 1024/2008.
Tariff headings included
Imports of timber listed in Annexes II and III to the FLEGT Regulation, coming from partner countries such as Ghana, must be accompanied by a FLEGT license issued by the designated authority of the exporting country. To consult the official and updated list of included tariff headings, you should review the consolidated version of Regulation (EC) No 2173/2005.
In Ghana’s case, it applies to products under Chapter 44 (wood), and in some cases furniture under Chapter 94 and pulp, excluding species subject to CITES control.
How is it applied?
The FLEGT license can be in paper or electronic format and must be presented for validation by the competent authority of each country before the arrival of the shipment.
The EU Commission has developed an IT system, FLEGIT/TRACES (login here) to support the implementation of FLEGT licensing scheme in the EU.
FLEGIT is open to all companies based in the EU that wish to import wood or wood-based products covered by FLEGT authorizations. It allows importers to electronically submit a FLEGT licence to a national competent authority and enables the electronic and fast validation of the FLEGT licence by the competent authorities and subsequent clearance by the Customs.
It is important to note that FLEGIT/TRACES is an IT platform developed by the European Commission to facilitate the electronic management of FLEGT licenses, but it is not a competent authority. The official validation and authorization of FLEGT licenses is the exclusive responsibility of the national competent authority in each Member State, such as MITECO in Spain.
For example, in Spain, this process is carried out through the FLEGT app (login here) managed by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO). Importers and customs agents submit their licenses for review and tracking. Once validated, Spanish Customs may authorize the release of the imported products, provided all other legal requirements are met.
The competent authorities for each Member State can be consulted at:
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/forests/deforestation/eu-rules-against-illegal-logging_en#flegt-regulation .
Certificates and exemptions
In customs import declarations for timber and derived products subject to the FLEGT measure, the declaration of documents related to FLEGT will be validated according to the following cases:
| FLEGT Measure | Country of Origin | Country of Export | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Any origin | Other country | No FLEGT document can be declared: C690, C631, Y070, Y057 |
| No | Any origin | FLEGT country * | One of the FLEGT documents can be declared: C690, C631, Y070, Y057 |
| Yes | FLEGT country * | Other country | Only Y057 can be declared |
| Yes | FLEGT country * | FLEGT country * | One of the FLEGT documents can be declared: C690, C631, Y070, Y057 |
(*) Currently, the only “FLEGT countries” authorized to issue FLEGT certificates are Indonesia and Ghana
FLEGT documents refer to the following cases:
- C690: FLEGT timber import license.
- C631: Official letter validating the use of non-wood or recycled materials for paper products, issued by the Ministry of Industry of the VPA partner country from which the paper products originate.
- Y057: Goods that do not require the presentation of a FLEGT license.
- Y070: Exemption from the obligation to present a FLEGT license under Article 4.3 of Council Regulation 2173/2005.
Ghana’s licenses will follow the format: GH-TIDD-AA-000000, identifying the country, issuing authority, year, and sequential license number.