Last Wednesday, the Indonesian government and the European Union concluded the Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (VPA FLEGT).that would redule Illegal Logging, Log Laundering and other related activities in Indonesia.
According to the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs this agreement will support Indonesia's efforts to strengthen Good Governance, Law Enforcement and Accountability in its Forest sector.
Indonesia plan to audit all of its 4,500 producers, processors and exporters to ensure the legality of all Timber, Paper, and Pulp products exported to the E.U and other markets.
And the E.U will guarantee free and unrestricted access for all FLEGT licensed Timber products coming from Indonesia and will seek to increase the visibility of FLEGT products in the E.U.
Indonesia and the E.U aimed to commence FLEGT licensing procedures at the beginning of 2013, ahead of the entry into operations of the E.U Timber Regulation in March 2013 which will prohibit the first sale of illegal Timer in the E.U.
I hope that this agreement will end, or at least reduce illegal logging that has plagued Indonesia for many years.
Showing posts with label European Union. Show all posts
Showing posts with label European Union. Show all posts
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
EU's ban on our Airlines
Many aircrafts accidents have happened in our country, killing lots of its crews and passengers.
The latest accident was on 6 April when the Air Force’s Fokker F-27 crash-landed & hit a hangar at the airport in Bandung, West Java, killing all of its 24 crews & passengers.
In an interview with Tempointeraktif, the Air Force’s PR vice Marshal Sagoem said that the plane’s black box is still being investigated and the main cause of accident can only be known three months after the tragedy.
Meanwhile, The Jakarta Globe reported that our inability to stop aircraft accidents has caused the European Union (EU) to extend the 21 months old ban on our aircraft entering their air space, saying that our aviation sector must meet seven more requirements. The ban was imposed in July 2007 after two Indonesian commercial aircrafts crashed, one in Jogyakarta, the other in South Sulawesi, killing a total of 123 passengers, based on the recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organization which issued 69 requirements which should be met.
Our government has made very serious efforts to meet those requirements, including amendment of the National Aviation Law last January, that the Minister of Transport Syafii Djamal said that EU has no more reason to extend their ban.
Unfortunately, a series of embarrassing aircraft accidents occurred last February, while aviation experts from the EU were visiting Indonesia to assess its progress before the March meeting. As a result, the EU extended the ban last March, pending completion of seven remaining requirements. EU’s ambassador to Indonesia i.e. Julian Wilson said that “The EU will be reviewing them at the next meeting in June ” Wilson said, adding that they were technical issues. “They are mostly related to inspections by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation at the Transportation Ministry.”
According to flag carrier Garuda’s President Emirsyah Satar, EU’s ban has costs Garuda around US$ 9 Million annually.
Considering the above, I hope that our government would strictly reconsider the licenses that have been granted to airlines in Indonesia, and always make sure that they obey all the aviation rules and regulations in our country as well in other countries of the world.
The latest accident was on 6 April when the Air Force’s Fokker F-27 crash-landed & hit a hangar at the airport in Bandung, West Java, killing all of its 24 crews & passengers.
In an interview with Tempointeraktif, the Air Force’s PR vice Marshal Sagoem said that the plane’s black box is still being investigated and the main cause of accident can only be known three months after the tragedy.
Meanwhile, The Jakarta Globe reported that our inability to stop aircraft accidents has caused the European Union (EU) to extend the 21 months old ban on our aircraft entering their air space, saying that our aviation sector must meet seven more requirements. The ban was imposed in July 2007 after two Indonesian commercial aircrafts crashed, one in Jogyakarta, the other in South Sulawesi, killing a total of 123 passengers, based on the recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organization which issued 69 requirements which should be met.
Our government has made very serious efforts to meet those requirements, including amendment of the National Aviation Law last January, that the Minister of Transport Syafii Djamal said that EU has no more reason to extend their ban.
Unfortunately, a series of embarrassing aircraft accidents occurred last February, while aviation experts from the EU were visiting Indonesia to assess its progress before the March meeting. As a result, the EU extended the ban last March, pending completion of seven remaining requirements. EU’s ambassador to Indonesia i.e. Julian Wilson said that “The EU will be reviewing them at the next meeting in June ” Wilson said, adding that they were technical issues. “They are mostly related to inspections by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation at the Transportation Ministry.”
According to flag carrier Garuda’s President Emirsyah Satar, EU’s ban has costs Garuda around US$ 9 Million annually.
Considering the above, I hope that our government would strictly reconsider the licenses that have been granted to airlines in Indonesia, and always make sure that they obey all the aviation rules and regulations in our country as well in other countries of the world.
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