A survey of stakeholders' opinons regarding FLEGT/VPA in Ghana.

“Multi-stakeholder opinion, whether bias or unbiased forms the core of policy implementation” In 2002 the European Commission started the FLEGT (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade) programme to combat illegal tropical timber from being imported into the European Union. The EU henceforth enters into Voluntary Partnerships Agreements (VPA) with countries exporting tropical timber to control illegal export timber production and trade in their countries. A basic element of this VPA is for timber exporting countries to identify sets of national timber legality standards and legality assurance system through a governance process involving all relevant stakeholders in the country. In December 2006 Ghana formalized its desire to enter into negotiation with the European Union. On 3rd September, 2008, Ghana concluded its negotiations with the European Union on the first ever Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) on Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT). By June and November, 2009 both Ghana and the European Union have signed and ratified the agreement respectively, this makes Ghana the first country to formally completed FLEGT/VPA negotiations and signed the VPA.