Overall assessment of FLEGT and EUTR state of the art from the stakeholders' perspective

FLEGT and EUTR are EU legal instruments to halt illegal logging, a major issue in economic, social, environmental and political terms. Different and contrasting convictions about their effectiveness blossomed over time. Our study surveys the overall stakeholders' perspective, offering a 360° view of FLEGT and EUTR state of the art. The methodology consists in a double stage literature review and a set of interviews with several actors, distinguished according to their main sector of activity (academics and experts; business and trade actors; civil society and environmental organizations; political and technical actors). They expressed their opinions about FLEGT and EUTR strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats regarding the following topics: policies, legal framework and governance; business and trade; stakeholders and social issues; environmental sustainability and deforestation; and the possible interactions with other initiatives. Unanimous appreciation emerged about the innovative character of the initiatives and the success in awareness raising and social inclusion. Most criticized a missing centralized orchestration by the EC; while opinions diverged on the acknowledgement of certification schemes and private sector involvement. Environmental impacts were slightly commented. In the end, research outcomes are compared with those emerged from evaluations commissioned by the EC and some recommendations to policy makers are offered.