If you are an importer of wood and if you wish to use the FLEGT or CITES licensing and control scheme, please take note of the following:
Context of the FLEGT regulation
Importers or their representing agents who want to release for free circulation in Belgium wood coming under the FLEGT licensing scheme (see Annexes to EC Regulation No 2173/2005) must notify the competent authority beforehand of the shipments for approval (see Art. 6 of the EC Regulation 1024/2008).
Such notification to the Environment Directorate-General, which is the competent authority for Belgium, shall be made through the online application FLEGIT in the TRACES-database system of the European Union.
The authorisation itself is requested by the exporter in the exporting country (with the competent authority in the partner country). Check with your exporter whether the right shipment codes and quantities are mentioned on the authorisation!
Access to the database FLEGIT
Link to database FLEGIT: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/tracesnt/login
This website also provides a manual : https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/cfcas3/tracesnt-webhelp/Content/I_FLEGT/Intro.htm.
How to submit a FLEGT-authorisation?
Step 1: create an account in TRACES.
Each economic operator wishing to submit an authorisation (importers but also e.g. customs officers/expeditors acting for them) must first create an account in TRACES and request an importers role in the FLEGIT application. We refer to the FLEGIT-manual on the TRACES-website. You need to have your importers role approved by the competent authority in the country where your company is based.
Step 2: Register your FLEGT authorisations and request a check to the competent authority.
In the application FLEGIT, the economic operator records the information contained in the FLEGT authorisation that covers products, which they wish to release for free circulation in Belgium. Here as well, we refer to the FLEGIT-manual on the TRACES website.
Besides you need to respect several practical guidelines:
- With every FLEGT request you have to upload an electronic version (scan) of the original authorisation in FLEGIT, including any annexes. This is possible under section 2. A PDF is given preference to. A separate image of the signature/seal is not necessary provided the signature/seal be clearly legible. If the upload of images is unsuccessful, send the scan by email to flegt@health.fgov.be (link sends e-mail). Attention, the validation will only be performed as soon as the scan has fully been delivered. A paper version is not requested.
- If the quantities and/or goods codes on the authorisation do not match with the shipment, you will need to follow this procedure.
Step 3: the test result.
When the competent authority performs its checks, the economic operator is automatically informed of the outcome by email.
If the result is an authorisation, the customs can allow the goods to free traffic (possibly after an additional check). The customs can consult the result in FLEGIT and add the clearing data and the result of any additional controls.
In case 44 of the unique document by which the authorisation for free traffic is established, the Flegt-authorisation should be referred to. Slect certificate code C690 for Flegt-authorisations and mention the authorisation number for the shipment.
The FLEGT guidelines are meant for custom officers and competent authorities but also include useful information for companies.
Contact: E-mail: flegt@health.fgov.be