V-Legal Documents

What is a V-Legal Document?

V-Legal Documents are Indonesian export licences attesting legality. When the timber legality assurance system is fully working as described in the Indonesia-EU Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), Indonesia will issue V-Legal Documents as FLEGT licences for timber bound for the EU.

Companies that comply with the timber legality assurance system (SVLK) need to attach a V-Legal Document to their consignments for export to any international market. The V-Legal Document specifies that the timber products being shipped comply with the legality and/or sustainability standard and the supply chain control requirements as stipulated in Indonesian regulations and the VPA. Thus the V-Legal Document provides assurance that timber or timber products are legal. V-Legal Documents are issued by bodies authorised by the Indonesian government to act as licensing authorities.

For products covered by the VPA, the FLEGT licence will replace the V-Legal Document for exports to the EU when Indonesia begins FLEGT licensing.

What does a FLEGT licence from Indonesia look like and how does it differ from a V-Legal Document? Does a FLEGT licence replace a V-Legal Document? The FLEGT licence looks like the template in Annex IV of the Indonesia-EU Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA). It looks similar to the V-Legal  Document,  but has ‘FLEGT licence’ clearly stated on the top right of the licence, in the box marked 'B'. The FLEGT licence will replace the V-Legal Document for exports to the EU when Indonesia begins FLEGT licensing. V-Legal Documents will be issued for exports to other markets for the products covered in the VPA. Indonesia has developed an annex to the FLEGT licence that will be used if more than one product is shipped under one licence.

 

Indonesia already has SVLK legality certification and export licences called V-Legal Documents. How do these relate to FLEGT licences? Are FLEGT licences better than V-Legal Documents?

Indonesia’s timber legality assurance system (SVLK) has been in force since 2013 and applies to all Indonesian operators and timber products. Before FLEGT licensing starts, the SVLK allows legality verification and attests to the legality of all Indonesian timber and timber products through the issuance of SVLK legality certificates and V-Legal Documents for exports.

Under Indonesian law, SVLK certification and V-Legal Documents constitute a proof of legality for Indonesian timber products. A FLEGT licence will attest to the legality of Indonesian timber in exactly the same way as a V-Legal Document.

When Indonesia begins to issue FLEGT licences, they will replace V-Legal Documents for all exports to the EU of product types listed in the revised Annex I of the Indonesia-EU Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA). See: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32015D1158

Indonesia will issue V-Legal Documents for exports to non-EU markets for the products covered in the VPA.

The Indonesia-EU VPA Joint Implementation Committee serves as a joint monitoring and decision making body. The Joint Implementation Committee responds to any problems stakeholders bring to its attention, thereby contributing to continual improvement of VPA implementation.