Council Decision (EU) 2025/1976 of 8 July 2025 on the termination of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cameroon on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived products to the European Union (FLEGT)

Official Journal EN of the European Union L series 2025/1976 26.9.2025 COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2025/1976 of 8 July 2025 on the termination of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cameroon on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived 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 Article 207(4), first subparagraph, in conjunction with Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a)(v) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, Having regard to the consent of the European Parliament, 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’ aimed at contributing to the global efforts to tackle illegal logging and its associated trade. The Council adopted its conclusions on the FLEGT action plan (the ‘action plan’) on 13 October 2003(1) and the European Parliament adopted its resolution on the action plan on 11 July 2005(2). (2) A central element of the action plan was the conclusion of voluntary partnership agreements with timber-producing countries to ensure that timber and timber products exported to the Union were legally produced and acquired. (3) In accordance with Council Decision 2011/200/EU(3), the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cameroon on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade in timber and derived products to the European Union (FLEGT) (the ‘VPA’) was signed on 6 October 2010. (4) In accordance with Council Decision 2011/201/EU(4), the VPA was concluded on behalf of the Union. Following its conclusion by the Republic of Cameroon, the VPA entered into force on 1 December 2011 for a period of seven years, renewable by tacit agreement for periods of the same length unless one party notifies its intention not to renew the VPA at least 12 months before the expiry of the period under way. (5) The Republic of Cameroon has not been able to fulfil its obligations under the VPA, namely in relation to the progress in establishing the FLEGT licensing scheme aimed at verifying and attesting, by means of a FLEGT licence, that timber and derived products exported to the Union are legally produced or acquired. Therefore, the Commission believes that the VPA will not enable timber and timber products from the Republic of Cameroon to benefit from the provisions of Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 995/2010(5) and, as of 30 December 2025, of Article 10(3) in conjunction with Article 3, point (b), of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of the European Parliament and of the Council(6). (1) OJ C 268, 7.11.2003, p. 1. (2) OJ C 157 E, 6.7.2006, p. 482. (3) Council Decision 2011/200/EU of 27 September 2010 on the signing of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cameroon on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived products to the European Union (FLEGT) (OJ L 92, 6.4.2011, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2011/200/oj). (4) Council Decision 2011/201/EU of 28 February 2011 on the conclusion of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cameroon on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived products to the European Union (FLEGT) (OJ L 92, 6.4.2011, p. 3, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2011/201/oj). (5) Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 October 2010 laying down the obligations of operators who place timber and timber products on the market (OJ L 295, 12.11.2010, p. 23, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/ 2010/995/oj). (6) Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 May 2023 on the making available on the Union market and the export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation and repealing Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 (OJ L 150, 9.6.2023, p. 206, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1115/oj). ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1976/oj 1/3EN OJ L, 26.9.2025 (6) It is therefore appropriate that the VPA should cease to apply. It should either not be renewed beyond 30 November 2025 or should be terminated as soon as possible thereafter. (7) Article 27 of the VPA would have allowed for the non-renewal of the VPA as of 1 December 2025 if notification of the decision not to renew would have been made by either Party prior to 1 December 2024. Due to time constraints, the Union can no longer avail itself of the possibility of notifying a non-renewal beyond 30 November 2025 pursuant to Article 27 of the VPA. (8) Pursuant to Article 28 of the VPA, either Party may denounce the VPA by notifying the other Party. In such a case, the VPA would cease to apply 12 months after the date of such notification. (9) Article 54(b) of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties allows for the termination of international agreements at any time by consent of all the parties. The VPA could thus be terminated, pursuant to that provision, by the conclusion of a Joint Declaration between the Union and the Republic of Cameroon, in which both Parties agree to terminate the VPA on 30 November 2025. In such a case the VPA would no longer be in force as of 1 December 2025. (10) The termination of the VPA pursuant to either of the above actions should be approved on behalf of the Union, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 The termination of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cameroon on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived products to the European Union (FLEGT) (the ‘VPA’) that entered into force on 1 December 2011 is hereby approved on behalf of the Union. The VPA shall cease to apply no later than 12 months after the date of notification to the Republic of Cameroon. Article 2 The Joint Declaration of the European Union and the Republic of Cameroon concerning the non-renewal in 2025 of the VPA is hereby approved on behalf of the Union. The text of the Joint Declaration is set out in the Annex. Article 3 This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Done at Brussels, 8 July 2025. For the Council The President S. LOSE 2/3 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1976/ojEN OJ L, 26.9.2025 ANNEX Joint Declaration of the European Union and the Republic of Cameroon concerning the non-renewal in 2025 of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and derived products to the European Union (FLEGT) Acknowledging the intention notified by the European Union to terminate the Voluntary Partnership Agreement on forest law enforcement governance and trade in timber and derived products to the Union (FLEGT) (the ‘VPA’), both Parties hereby agree, in accordance with Article 54(b) of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, to terminate the VPA on 30 November 2025. Consequently, the VPA shall not be renewed beyond 30 November 2025 and shall no longer be in force as of 1 December 2025. This Joint Declaration is binding on the Parties and shall enter into force once each Party has notified the other Party of the finalisation of its respective domestic procedures necessary for that purpose, and at the latest on the 30 November 2025. This Joint Declaration is drawn up in duplicate in the Bulgarian Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish languages, each text being equally authentic. Done at …, … For the Government of the Republic of Cameroon For the European Union ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1976/oj 3/3