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Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2024/1412 27.5.2024
COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2024/1412
of 19 February 2024
on the signing, on behalf of the 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)
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) 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 (1) and a European Parliament resolution on the subject was adopted on 11 July 2005 (2).
(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 (3) 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) The negotiations with the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire in view of the conclusion of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement
on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and timber products (‘the Agreement’), were successfully
concluded by the initialling of the Agreement on 17 October 2022.
(5) The Agreement should be signed,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
The signing, on behalf of the 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 is hereby
authorised, subject to the conclusion of the said Agreement (4).
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.
(1) OJ C 268, 7.11.2003, p. 1.
(2) OJ C 157 E, 6.7.2006, p. 482.
(3) 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).
(4) The text of the Agreement will be published together with the decision on its conclusion.
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2024/1412/oj 1/2EN
OJ L, 27.5.2024
Article 3
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.
Done at Brussels, 19 February 2024.
For the Council
The President
Y. DÍAZ PÉREZ
2/2 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2024/1412/oj