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having regard to the Commission proposal for a Council decision of 10 May 2022 on the conclusion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (COM(2022)0200),

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having regard to the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (09272/2022),

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having regard to the draft Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union (09271/2022),

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having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with the first subparagraphs of Articles 207(3) and 207(4), in conjunction with Article 218(6), first subparagraph, point (a)(v), and Article 218(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C9-0432/2022),

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having regard to 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 (1) (FLEGT Regulation),

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having regard to 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 (2) (EU Timber Regulation),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 11 December 2019 on the European Green Deal (COM(2019)0640) and to Parliament’s resolution of 15 January 2020 thereon (3),

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having regard to the Agreement adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) in Paris on 12 December 2015 (the Paris Agreement),

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having regard to the UN Sustainable Development Goals,

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having regard to its resolution of 16 September 2020 on the EU’s role in protecting and restoring the world’s forests (4),

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having regard to its resolution of 22 October 2020 with recommendations to the Commission on an EU legal framework to halt and reverse EU-driven global deforestation (5),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 21 May 2003 entitled ‘Forest law enforcement, governance and trade (FLEGT): proposal for an EU action plan’ (COM(2003)0251) and the 2018-2022 work plan for its implementation,

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having regard to the Commission proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 November 2021 on the making available on the Union market as well as export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation and repealing Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 (COM(2021)0706) (deforestation regulation),

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having regard to its position of 14 February 2023 (6) on the draft Council decision,

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having regard to Rule 105(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

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having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Development,

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having regard to the report of the Committee on International Trade (A9-0018/2023),

A.

whereas in November 2018, the EU and Guyana concluded negotiations on a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT); whereas on 10 March 2022, Guyana and the EU agreed on an updated joint implementation framework — a detailed roadmap for implementing the VPA, which aims to improve forest governance and provide oversight for the trade in legal timber;

B.

whereas approximately 84 % of Guyana’s land is covered by forests; whereas this equates to around 18 million acres; whereas Guyana has the second highest forest carbon stock per capita in the world and is estimated to have 21,8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide stored in its forests; whereas around 13 % of Guyana’s forests are formally designated as Amerindian village lands; whereas the Guianan moist forest ecoregion covers most of Guyana;

C.

whereas since 1996, conservation efforts have been made and the annual deforestation rate in Guyana has been very low, averaging around 0,06 %;

D.

whereas Guyana has one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world; whereas Guyana’s forests are estimated to be home to around 8 000 plant species and over 1 000 species of terrestrial vertebrates; whereas approximately 5 % of all plant species are considered endemic to Guyana;

E.

whereas illegal mining and illegal logging remain a concern in Guyana, as both practices damage the country’s forests; whereas most of the deforestation in Guyana is attributed to fires (50 %) and mining (41 %), be it legal or illegal; whereas although deforestation caused by conversion for agriculture only accounts for around 5 %, it is nevertheless a concern;

F.

whereas the main economic activities in Guyana are agriculture, bauxite and gold mining, timber, mineral mining and fishing; whereas Guyana’s forest industry is estimated to contribute to less than 2 % of its GDP, a figure expected to decrease further with the petroleum sector having been rapidly increasing since 2015, when large oil reserves were discovered in Guyana’s territorial waters;

G.

whereas the forest sector significantly contributes to the economic growth of Guyana, employing about 20 000 people, mainly in rural areas; whereas Guyana’s forests contribute to 2 % of the GDP and to 6 % of total job creation; whereas the VPA would increase the potential of the forestry sector by creating new jobs and contributing to the country’s sustainable economic growth;

H.

whereas the volume of timber traded between Guyana and the EU is modest, with just 8 % of timber exports from Guyana going to Europe in 2018 and only around half of those going to the EU; whereas Guyana’s biggest overall trading partner is the US, with Singapore as the second; whereas its largest export market for timber is the Asia-Pacific region; whereas the VPA would open up more opportunities for Guyana to export to the EU and new markets, which would increase its development opportunities;

I.

whereas Guyana ratified the Paris Agreement in May 2016 and had made a number of commitments relating to sustainable forestry in its revised nationally determined contribution, such as the conservation of an additional 2 million hectares of forests;

J.

whereas Guyana needs to overcome challenges in order to improve the well-being of its citizens, such as fighting poverty, inequality and discrimination, particularly against LGBTI people and indigenous peoples, as well as combating corruption and racial and ethnic polarisation and violence, which remain persistent concerns;

K.

whereas Guyana has expressed a commitment to make funding available to support the implementation of the VPA; whereas the EU, Norway and the UK have also committed to providing additional funding for this purpose;

L.

whereas the objective of the VPA is to ensure that all shipments of timber and timber products from Guyana destined for the EU market will comply with the Guyana Timber Legality Assurance System (GTLAS) and thereby qualify for an FLEGT licence; whereas domestic timber and timber destined for all export markets will also need to comply with the GTLAS;

M.

whereas the VPA covers the five obligatory timber products under the FLEGT Regulation — logs, sawn timber, railway sleepers, plywood and veneer — as well as processed timber, pickets and poles, and joinery and carpentry;

N.

whereas according to the Commission proposal for the deforestation regulation, FLEGT-licensed timber imported to the EU will automatically live up to the legality requirement;

O.

whereas the VPA provides for a Joint Monitoring and Review Committee, which will be responsible for its implementation and monitoring;

P.

whereas the purpose and expected benefits of FLEGT VPAs go beyond the facilitation of trade in legal timber, as they are also designed to bring about systemic changes in forest governance, law enforcement, transparency and the inclusion of various stakeholders in the political decision-making process, in particular civil society organisations, workers’ organisations and indigenous communities, as well as support for economic integration and respect for the international Sustainable Development Goals;

Q.

whereas countries all over the world that either have or aim to have regulated import markets for legal timber benefit from cooperating; whereas common international standards would be most effective to combat deforestation and promote long-term legal security for business and consumers;

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