Gabon
Key documents required for timber legality and trade of Gabon
The below listed key documents are based on the applicable legislation and are considered to play a key role in demonstrating legal origin. An overview of applicable legislation and its scope is accessible here (Forest Legality Initiative).
Documents at company level
| Key document | Explanation | Validity | Legal authority | Relevant section of the EUTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal registration | Professional accreditation | Any natural or legal person wishing to engage in logging or the sale of wood in the form of logs applies to the DGF for a Professional Approval and any person wishing to process wood or sell processed products also applies to the DGICBVPF for a Professional Approval. | General Direction of Forests and General Direction of Industries, Wood Trade and Valuation of Forest Products (DGICBVPF) | ||
| Tax, fees and royalties | Receipt of payment of the area tax | The Area Tax is paid for a whole year (no later than 31 March) at the rate of 400 F CFA/hectare. The Tax also applies to concessions which are temporarily closed to exploitation. | Yearly | General Direction of Taxes of Gabon | |
| Processing | Industrial Plan conformity Certificate | The Industrialization Plan (IP) is drawn up for processing units that wish to set up. It is filed with the DGICBVPF and approved through the issuance of a Certificate of Compliance of the IP. | General Direction of Industries, Timber Trade and Forest Products Development |
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| Industrial Development Plan (IDP) conformity Certificate | The PDI is developed for processing units that already exist in the field and seeks to be in good standing with the Forest Administration. The PDI is filed with the DGICBVPF and approved through the issuance of a PDI certificate of compliance. | General Direction of Industries, Timber Trade and Forest Products Development |
Documents at Forest Management Unit level
| Key document | Explanation | Validity | Legal authority | Relevant section of the EUTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest use rights | Authorisation to operate | This is the authorization that the devolved Administration gives to the operator to operate its Annual harvesting license (Assiette annuelle de coupe -AAC). The operation of the AAC is valid for 3 years. | Valid for three years | Provincial Direction of Water and Forests |
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| Forest management | Provisional Development - Operation - Transformation Agreement | Provisional agreement for management - exploitation – transformation with a maximum validity of 3 years. During this period, the logging company is authorised to conduct 3 Provisional Annual Allowable Cuts (AACp) with a total surface area of 1/10th of the area of the massif to be developed. The AACp must be demarcated and verifiable by the Forest Administration. Its management is subject to the approval of a PAO (see below). | For a term of three years, non-reneableearly | The Ministry of Water, Forestry, Sea and Environment, in charge of the Climate Plan, Sustainable Development Objectives and Land Allocation Plan and the General Directorate of Forestry |
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| Management Plan (AP) | The AP is a detailed action orientation document for the management of a given forest in time and space. The Minister validates the AP on the technical advice of the DGF). | 30 years |
The AP is a detailed action orientation document for the management of a given forest in time and space. The Minister validates the AP on the technical advice of the DGF |
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| Timber harvesting permits and activities | Five year Management plan | The PG is a regulatory document that specifies the planning of activities to be conducted over a 5-year period. It is drafted in accordance with the MOA. The PG is validated by the DGF. | General Direction of Forestry |
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| Annual Operation Plan | The PAO is a regulatory document that specifies the planning of activities to be conducted on an Annual harvesting license ( AAC). It is written in accordance with the AP and the PG. The AAC is validated by the Provincial Directorate. | Yearly | |||
| Environmental and social | Wildlife Protection Plan | The PPF is a reference document designed to provide a framework for wildlife protection in forestry, agro-industrial, mining and oil concessions. It enables the definition, programming and monitoring of actions to be implemented to ensure effective wildlife protection. For the logging company, the FPP is therefore an indispensable strategic and operational tool for ensuring its long-term sustainable forest management responsibilities. Validation of the PPF leads to the obtaining of a certificate of conformity for wildlife protection issued by the DGFAP. | The General Direction of Wildlife and Protected Areas |
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| Environmental Impact Assessment | The EIE is a document that presents the results of the assessment of the direct and indirect impacts of a project on the ecological balance, quality of life and living environment of the populations living in the project area and adjacent areas. The validation of the EIE leads to the obtaining of a certificate of conformity of the EIE issued by delegation to the DGFAP. | Yearly | The General Direction for the Environment | ||
| Forest Tax, fees and Royalties | Receipt of payment of the Surveillance Fee | A surveillance fee of a maximum amount of FCFA 300 per hectare per year, calculated on the basis of the surface area of the title held by the operator, was introduced in Law No. 021/2017 of 26 January 2018, also known as the 2018 Finance Law. To date, discussions are underway between AGEOS and the private sector to arrive at a rate of 300 F CFA/ha rather on the area of the Annual harvesting license (Assiette annuelle de coupe -AAC) in operation. | Yearly | Gabonese Agency for Space Studies and Observations (AGEOS) and Services du Trésor du Gabon |
Documents at product level (Chain of Custody)
| Key document | Explanation | Validity | Legal authority | Relevant section of the EUTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest traceability |
Site notebook | Field book in which the harvested trees are recorded by the harvesting company, following a specified format of the forest authorities. | Provincial Directorate or Head of the Water and Forestry Department |
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| Transport / Trade / Export | Receipt of payment of felling and export taxes | The felling tax is paid by forest permit holders or not, engaged in a logging activity through the felling of trees, processed or semi-processed products and intended for export. The rate is 1.5% for processed or semi-processed products intended for export. | General Direction for Customs and Excise |
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| Waybill | Transport document on which the transported logs are recorded following a specified format of the forest authorities. The details on this document shall correspond with the details in the field book. | Provincial forestry authorities |
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| Packing list | The purchase or sale of logs shall be subject to the presentation of a specification sheet endorsed by the forest authority of the area concerned by the purchase or sale of forest products. | Forestry authorities of ports and provincial services | |||
| Export permit (CITES permit) | For the issuance of a CITES permit, the ANPN plays the role of Scientific Authority, in the sense that it gives the favourable opinion for the issuance of the CITES permit. The Ministry plays the role of management body, i.e. it establishes and issues the CITES permit to the operator who wishes to export the forest product classified in Appendix II of the CITES Convention. In the case of forest species, this is the responsibility of the DGICBVPF. | National Parks Agency , the General Directorate of Industries, Wood Trade and Valuation of Forest Products of the Ministry of Water, Forestry, Sea and Environment, in charge of the Climate Plan, Sustainable Development Objectives and Land Allocation Plan |