Accra, March 3, GNA- Government and the European Union on Friday concluded the first round of negotiations on a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) aimed at ensuring that only legally logged timber from Ghana was sold on the European market.

The agreement, under the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) action plan was in recognition of the increasing public concern with the social, economic and environmental consequences of illegal logging and related trade worldwide.

The EU, the largest importer of Ghana's timber products shares Ghana's objectives of protecting and sustainably managing its forests and ensuring that all timber exports originated from legal and sustainable sources.

Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister of Lands Forestry and Mines, who lead Ghana's team, which included representatives from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, to conclude the first round of negotiations in Accra, said the agreement was part of government's effort at ensuring good governance. "We see this initiative as another opportunity to further improve on the modest successes we have achieved through our previous reform efforts at improving law enforcement and sustainable forest management in Ghana.

He said the government intends to address the problem of illegal timber logging to supply the domestic market through the VPA process. Mr Lluis Riera, Director, Directorate-General Development and Relations with Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States, EU who led the European team congratulated Ghana for taking the leading role on the FLEGT initiative in Africa, as it was the first country to enter into formal negotiations.

He stated that the EU recognises the complexity of the forest governance issues and associated implications but expressed his conviction that the commitment of the Government of Ghana with the support from civil society, the forest industry and local communities would reach a sustainable agreement.

Mr Andrew Adjei Yeboah said, "Ghana is committed to the process and expects that the initiative contributes to the already initiated government programmes on sustainable forest management, good governance and poverty reduction".

Ambassador Filiberto Ceriani Sebregondi, Head of Delegation of the European Commission in Ghana, welcomed Ghana's comprehensive approach to the VPA process and assured government that the EC delegation would be attentive to Ghana's efforts for sustainable forest management.