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Experimentalism in transnational forest governance: Implementing European Union Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreements in Indonesia and Ghana

Author

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  • Christine Overdevest
  • Jonathan Zeitlin

Abstract

Over the past decade, the European Union (EU) has created a novel experimentalist architecture for transnational forest governance: the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) initiative. This innovative architecture comprises extensive participation by civil society stakeholders in establishing and revising open‐ended framework goals (Voluntary Partnership Agreements [VPAs] with developing countries aimed at promoting sustainable forest governance and preventing illegal logging) and metrics for assessing progress toward them (legality standards and indicators) through monitoring and review of local implementation, underpinned by a penalty default mechanism to sanction non‐cooperation (the EU Timber Regulation that prohibits operators from placing illegally harvested wood on the European market). This paper analyzes the implementation of VPAs in Indonesia and Ghana, the two countries furthest advanced toward issuing FLEGT export licences. A central finding is the reciprocal relationship between the experimentalist architecture of the FLEGT initiative and transnational civil society activism, whereby the VPAs’ insistence on stakeholder participation, independent monitoring, and joint implementation review, underwritten by the EU, empowers domestic non‐governmental organizations with local knowledge to expose problems on the ground, hold public authorities accountable for addressing them, and contribute to developing provisional solutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Christine Overdevest & Jonathan Zeitlin, 2018. "Experimentalism in transnational forest governance: Implementing European Union Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreements in Indonesia and Ghana," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(1), pages 64-87, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:reggov:v:12:y:2018:i:1:p:64-87
    DOI: 10.1111/rego.12180
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lesniewska, Feja & McDermott, Constance L., 2014. "FLEGT VPAs: Laying a pathway to sustainability via legality lessons from Ghana and Indonesia," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 16-23.
    2. De Búrca, Gráinne & Keohane, Robert O. & Sabel, Charles, 2014. "Global Experimentalist Governance," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 44(03), pages 477-486, July.
    3. Marfo, Emmanuel & Mckeown, James P., 2013. "Negotiating the supply of legal timber to the domestic market in Ghana: Explaining policy change intent using the Advocacy Coalition Framework," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 23-31.
    4. Obidzinski, Krystof & Dermawan, Ahmad & Andrianto, Agus & Komarudin, Heru & Hernawan, Dody, 2014. "The timber legality verification system and the voluntary partnership agreement (VPA) in Indonesia: Challenges for the small-scale forestry sector," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 24-32.
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    1. Partzsch, Lena & Müller, Lukas Maximilian & Sacherer, Anne-Kathrin, 2023. "Can supply chain laws prevent deforestation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Indonesia?," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    2. Alam, Shawkat & Razzaque, Jona, 2026. "Contested forests: how transnational networks mitigate and reproduce conflict," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    3. Pablo Pacheco & George Schoneveld & Ahmad Dermawan & Heru Komarudin & Marcel Djama, 2020. "Governing sustainable palm oil supply: Disconnects, complementarities, and antagonisms between state regulations and private standards," Post-Print hal-05173607, HAL.
    4. Appau, Yaw & Derkyi, Mercy Afua Adutwumwaa, 2022. "Local communities' knowledge and perception of FLEGT -VPA - insights from Ghana," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    5. Geng Qin & Hanzhi Yu, 2023. "Rescuing the Paris Agreement: Improving the Global Experimentalist Governance by Reclassifying Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-19, February.

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