The Indonesian Government’s commitment to preventing trade in illegal timber products and eradicating illegal logging has received a positive response from the European Union. A partnership agreement with Indonesia is contained in the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade-Voluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT-VPA). In Indonesia, a verification system is then developed to ensure that the wood products produced are from legal sources. This multiparty developed system is known as the Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK). In its journey, this system was used as a legality guarantee system which became an important requirement in the FLEGT-VPA agreement, which was called the Indonesia timber legality assurance system (Indonesia TLAS).

In the context of the Indonesia-EU cooperation agreement, a legality license was then called the V-Legal Document to support the improvement of SVLK implementation in international trade. This document was prepared by the Ministry of Forestry by involving the Timber Legality Verification Agency (LVLK). V-Legal documents can be traced electronically through the License Information Unit (LIU) in the Ministry of Forestry. Through Minister of Forestry Decree No. P.38 / 2009 jo No. P.68 / 2011 concerning SVLK and Perdirjen BUK No.8 in 2011 concerning the standard of SVLK implementation, finally this V-Legal Document is validated to take effect.

Recently the Ministry of Forestry has compiled a plan to test the use of this V-Legal Document. The testing will be carried out through a shipment test of wood products to the European Union. Four ministries collaborated in this test, namely the Ministry of Forestry, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Trade and Director General of Customs and Excise – Ministry of Finance.

Companies that have been registered with Registered Exporters of Forestry Industrial Products (ETPIK) are required to prepare themselves for the shipment test. They have to submit a Wood Turnover Report (LMK) document that contains inventory data along with a recapitulation of raw material supply documents, no later than one month beforehand to LVLK. When the wood product will be shipped, LVLK will conduct a physical inspection (by sampling).

The shipment test will involve 17 companies to be carried out in 4 (four) major ports, namely: Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya, Tanjung Emas Port in Semarang, Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, and Belawan Port in Medan. Based on information obtained by the JPIK Secretariat, the initial launch will take place from 15 October 2012 to 15 November 2012 before finally being fully implemented on 1 January 2013.

With this situation, of course the Independent Forest Monitoring Network (JPIK) needs to be prepared to monitor the shipment process since the initial launch. Physical examination, completeness of documents until the delivery process is very important for JPIK to fully understand the flow of the SVLK. Hopefully this JPIK involvement can contribute to efforts to develop monitoring performance and encourage improvement in a credible, transparent and accountable timber legality verification system.