ABSTRACT
Whilst interest in deforestation and forest illegality dates back to the 1970s and gained momentum throughout the 1990s, it was not until the early part of the 21st century that the need to address illegality was reflected in the international forestry policy agenda and national initiatives to tackle forest crime were implemented by key states. This chapter provides an overview of the main policy developments designed to tackle illegality in the forestry sector in recent times by public institutions. Special attention will be paid to the European Union (EU) Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan, with particular reference to Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) and to national and regional initiatives aimed at excluding illegal timber from domestic markets (such as the Lacey Act, EU Timber Regulation and the Australian Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill) (paragraph 2.3). Finally, some considerations regarding the pros and cons of such policies will be posited, including consideration of nascent impacts on timber markets and forest certification schemes (paragraph 2.4).
