ANNEX XSupplementary provisions
ANNEX X SUPPORTING MEASURES AND FINANCING MECHANISMS I. Financing mechanisms A large proportion of the activities required for implementation of the Agreement is already included under the sector reforms introduced by the Cameroon Government, which are identified as some of the priority activities to be undertaken by the Forest and Environment Sector Programme (PSFE). As a result, their financing is assured through the instruments identified under that programme, in particular: (a) for funds provided by Cameroon itself: — the national budget, — the Special Forestry Development Fund (FSDF), (b) for contributions by the partners: — the Common Fund, — budgetary support. However, additional financial resources are needed for some actions that are specific to the Agreement, hence the need to seek resources elsewhere: — from the development partners: the support of the Union via the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) and other mechanisms to be identified, — internally: the introduction of a tax. These additional funds must be mobilised in accordance with the Forest and Environment Sector Programme. II. Supporting measures The implementation of actions more specific to the Agreement will require supporting measures in the following fields: (a) capacity building; (b) communication; (c) promotion of FLEGT products on the Union market; (d) monitoring the domestic timber market; (e) industrialisation; (f) monitoring the impact of the Agreement; (g) helping to monitor implementation of the Legality Assurance Scheme (LAS); (h) modernising the traceability system; (i) strengthening the national control system; (j) the Legality Assurance System; (k) the system for issuing FLEGT licences; (l) establishing the independent audit; (m) reforms of the legal framework; (n) seeking additional financing. To this end, the Parties must ensure that adequate technical and financial support is in place, in order to enable the Cameroon Government to implement the necessary actions. II a. Capacity building Justification — Technical upgrade via the training of all the actors involved (administrations, private sector, civil society etc.) — Increased equipment — Increased logistical tools. Planned action — Preparation of a training plan (identification of the actors involved and design of a matrix enabling determination of the objectives of the training and campaigns to be undertaken, including an estimate of the costs involved) — Implementation of the training plan — Definition of requirements as regards equipment and logistical tools — Acquisition of equipment and logistical tools — Ensuring the proper function of equipment and logistical tools. Type of support — Technical assistance — Financial support for training — Financial support for the acquisition of equipment and logistical tools. II b. Communication Justification Communication is a very important element within the process leading to the implementation of the Agreement; it will: — encourage involvement and guarantee the coherence of the contributions of the various actors, — help to develop synergies between the member countries of the Central Africa Forests Commission (COMIFAC), — promote the image of Cameroon timber on the international market, — ensure the support of public opinion for the action taken by the Cameroon Government to promote sustainable forestry resource management and development of the communities that depend on it, — promote the benefits of a voluntary partnership agreement among the actors involved and the public. Planned action — Preparation and implementation of a communication plan for raising public awareness inside and outside the MINFOF — Establishment of an exchange platform between COMIFAC countries — Communication work designed to inform international opinion (see Annex VII) — Making the actors aware of the elements of the Agreement that will concern then, and helping them to adapt to the new elements concerned — Making European public opinion aware of the efforts being made by the Cameroon Government to ensure good governance in the forestry sector. Type of support needed — Financial funding — Technical assistance and capacity building. II c. Promotion of FLEGT products on the Union market Justification: — Strengthen confidence thanks to the credibility of the LAS — Promote access to Cameroon timber on the Union markets — Seek significant value added for Cameroon timber and timber products. Planned action — Feasibility study and, where necessary, establishing a ‘FLEGT Cameroon’ label — Label protection and management — Label promotion — Raising the awareness of the individual Union markets of the legality assurance provided by the FLEGT licence. Type of support — Financial support — Technical assistance and capacity building — Promotional campaigns within the Union market. II d. Monitoring the domestic timber market Justification — Control of the internal flow of timber within Cameroon — Possibility of enhancing the contribution of the domestic timber market (MIB) to the national economy. Planned action — Organisation of the domestic timber market — Improvement of the legal framework relating to the domestic timber market — Establishment of a statistic-gathering system — Establishment of a suitable traceability system. Type of support — Technical assistance and capacity building. II e. Industrialisation Justification — Modernisation of the industrial fabric — Diversification of production (2nd and 3rd level processing) — Development of the national and regional markets and stimulation of local consumer of legal timber — Improvement of the processing and by-product recovery processes — Increase in the value added of timber sold for export — Job creation, training of professionals and involvement in the fight against poverty. Planned action — Inventory of the timber sector in Cameroon and of the consumption of timber-based products on the Cameroon market. In particular, analysis of the timber and construction sectors: status of knowledge and markets, status of use of timber in the home, in particular in urban areas, training needs, promotion, development of a bioclimatic timber habitat in Cameroon — Consultation with professionals (information or otherwise) — Analysis of the dynamics and of requirements — Preparation of plan for the evaluation, industrial development and more advanced processing of timber, in accordance with the Forest and Environment Sector Programme — Preparation of processing rules — Preparation of incentives for the use of timber (quality standards, promotion of new products), in accordance with the Forest and Environment Sector Programme — Promotion of lesser known species, in accordance with the Forest and Environment Sector Programme — Improvement of the legal framework in relation to the industrialisation of the forestry sector — Encouragement of technology transfer improvement of efficiency and returns: situation analysis, proposals for each sub-sector. Type of support — Technical assistance and capacity building. II f. Monitoring the impact of the Agreement Justification — Assessment of the impact of the Agreement on the social environment — Assessment of the economic impact of the Agreement — Assessment of the effects of the Agreement on the development of the vegetation cover. Planned action — Definition and monitoring of social indicators — Establishment of a system for monitoring confiscated timber volumes — Establishment of the system for monitoring socioeconomic and environmental impact — Evaluation of the socioeconomic impact halfway through implementation of the Agreement — Monitoring the growth in forestry sector revenue — Strengthening the mechanism for permanent monitoring of vegetation cover (monitoring permanent plots of land, satellite images etc.) — Impact studies in relation to: illegal logging, market access, revenue growth, timber exports, of confiscated timber quantities — Monitoring developments in relation to fines and court cases. Type of support — Technical assistance and capacity building. II g. Helping to monitor implementation of the LAS Justification — Ensuring efficient operation of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement process within Cameroon — Guaranteeing the involvement of all the stakeholders. Planned action — Supporting the function of the national multi-actor monitoring committee, which includes all stakeholders — Supporting the function of the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) of the Agreement — Establishing the information distribution mechanisms. Type of support — Technical assistance and capacity building — Financial support to the participation of civil society. II h. Modernising the traceability system Justification — Entry of all timber flows — Details of the origin of every product — Real-time availability of all information on production, tax, exports and disputes. Planned action — Finalising the description of the traceability system — Extending the second generation computer system administering forestry information (SIGIF) — Establishing the necessary equipment and the infrastructure — Ensuring the proper functioning of the traceability system — Data gathering and processing. Type of support — Technical assistance and capacity building — Financial support for equipment acquisition. II i. Strengthening the national control system Justification — Improving the efficiency of implementation of the national control system. Planned action — Developing a system for planning the control actions — Drawing up procedures for the control operations — Development of measures to improve governance. Type of support — Technical assistance and capacity building — Renewing the independent observation mechanism. II j. The Legality Assurance System Justification — Establishing the Legality Assurance System. Planned action — Continued development and field tests of the legality matrices — Development of detailed procedures for the Legality Assurance System (LAS) — Training and raising awareness on the LAS procedures — Recognition and publication of the approved private certification schemes — Testing the system for the issue of certificates of legality — Evaluation of the function of the LAS, together with any necessary corrective measures. Type of support — Technical assistance and capacity building — Financial support for equipment acquisition. II k. The system for issuing FLEGT licences Justification — Establishing the system for the issue of FLEGT licences. Planned action — Development of detailed procedures for the issue of FLEGT licences — Raising awareness of the procedures for issuing FLEGT licences within the private sector — Establishing contacts with the competent European authorities — Feasibility study on the issue of electronic FLEGT licences — Testing the system for the issue of FLEGT licences. Type of support — Technical assistance and capacity building — Financial support for equipment acquisition. II l. Establishing the independent audit Justification — Guaranteeing the efficiency and credibility of the system for issuing FLEGT licences granted under the Agreement. Planned action — Regular completion of independent audits — Monitoring corrective action taken in order to improve the system. Type of support — Financial support for completion of the audits. II m. Reforms of the legal framework Justification — Improving the coherence of the legal framework applicable to the forestry sector — Completing existing aspects that are inadequately structured or regulated. Planned action — Review of forestry law and its implementing texts — Improvement of the legal framework relating to the domestic timber market — Improvement of the legal framework relating to community, communal and private forests — Improvement of the legal framework relating to social and environmental aspects — Integration of the relevant provisions of international legal instruments duly ratified by Cameroon — Any necessary readjustment of the legality matrix — Improvement of the legal framework in relation to the industrialisation of the forestry sector and advanced processing. Type of support — Capacity building. II n. Seeking additional financing Justification — Mobilising financial resources for realisation of priority actions specifically related to the Agreement, for which funding is not yet available. Planned action — Take action to find donors. Type of support — Technical assistance.