News

07/01/2013

Indonesian Ambassador visits Belgian pioneer in traceable import

First for Belgium: Importer Altripan has Indonesian plywood with V-legal license

13/12/2012 ANTWERP– The Ambassador of Indonesia visited Altripan, the largest European importer of plywood in the port of Antwerp.
Ambassador Arif Havas Oegroseno verified at the Altripan warehouse the first batch of plywood shipped under the Indonesian part of the FLEGT (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade). The shipment of this plywood was a test for future FLEGT-licenses. These licenses are the result of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) and guarantee traceability, legality and durability of the imported wood. Altripan welcomes the FLEGT –plywood because FLEGT-approval avoids the complicated procedures of the principle of Due Diligence resulting from the new European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR).
Koen De Witte (CEO Altripan) welcomed the ambassador and discussed with him the complexity of the traceability of legality. De Witte emphasized the efforts that Altripan as leading European importer already did to prepare for the new European legislation (EUTR / European Union Timber Regulation). The new law will compel importers as from March 2013 to implement the greatest care to exclude the risk of conscious or unconscious import of illegally harvested timber. "In that context, we welcome initiatives such as V-legal" emphasized De Witte.

The ambassador was accompanied on his visit by Mr. John Bazill, representant of The Directorate-General for the Environment of the European Commission. Christiane Verlent of Belgian Customs gave the attendees an overview of the procedures to be followed in clearing of parties with FLEGT certificate.