FIONA LEADS EFFORT TO PROTECT RAINFORESTS

After hosting a seminar today in the European Parliament to highlight the growing problem of illegal logging

Fiona said:

"Illegal logging in Indonesia has had a devastating effect on indigenous communities, destroyed vast areas of forest and put precious species at risk of extinction.

"The European Parliament has been at the forefront of pushing for European action to stop this dreadful practice.

"I'm delighted that Indonesia has started negotiations on a voluntary partnership agreement (VPA) under the FLEGT (Forestry Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade ) process and that action to promote good governance is set to be a priority for EU support to Indonesia over the next few years.

"The need to protect the Indonesian rainforest has never been more acute than now, when rising demand for palm oil could provoke even higher levels of illegal clearance than have been seen to date."