In May 2003 the European Commission released the FLEGT Action Plan. In the Action Plan the Commission identified some "Next Steps" on which it sought endorsement by both the Council and the European Parliament.

In October 2003 the EU Agricultural Council adopted a set of Council Conclusions which endorse the FLEGT Action Plan. The Council furthermore asked the Commission to start drafting a Regulation setting up a voluntary licensing scheme on timber. Furthermore, the Council requested the Commission to review options for, and the feasibility of, further legislation to control imports of illegally harvested timber, and present its findings to the Council by mid-2004.

In November 2003 the EU Parliamentary Industry and Trade Committee (ITRE) delivered its opinion on the FLEGT Action Plan. It welcomed the Action Plan and requested the Commission to draft legislation that will prohibit the importing and marketing of all illegally-sourced forest products, and to report back to both the Council and the European Parliament by June 2004.

In July 2004 the European Commission presented a proposal for an EU Regulation that would establish a voluntary licensing scheme on timber. The proposed licensing scheme is to be implemented on a voluntary basis through partnership agreements with wood-producing countries and regions that agree to co-operate with the EU on this matter.

In December 2005 the European Commission adopted a regulation (EC 2173/2005) permitting the establishment of Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licensing schemes for imports of timber into the European Community on December 20, 2005. The licensing scheme will be implemented through Voluntary Partnership Agreements with timber producing countries.

Voluntary Partnership Agreements are currently being negotiated with tropical producer countries such as Cameroon, Ghana, Gabon, Congo Indonesia, and Malaysia. Initial meetings have been held between the EU delegation and the Malaysian government in late 2006 and early 2007.

In December 2006, the European Commission published a consultation document exploring the different options with regards to legislation to outlaw the import of illegal timber and wood products into the EU. The consultation closed in March 2007 and it is expected that an impact assessment on the various legislative options as well as the results of the consultation process will be published in late 2007, three and a half years after the initial deadline. No dates for a draft white paper have yet been set.

The support and active involvement of the EU member states in the adoption and implementation of measures to implement the FLEGT Action Plan is crucial. This is the background for WWF's development of this Government Barometer on EU actions against illegal logging.