The PASSAD-Forêts project responds to the needs of companies in the timber industry in Côte d'Ivoire

13.03.2026

As part of the implementation of the PASSAD-Forêts project, funded by the European Union, a mission to gather information and assess the needs of the private sector in the forestry and timber industry took place from January 18 to 29, 2026, in several cities in the interior of the country, then from March 2 to 5, 2026, in Abidjan and surrounding cities.

This mission was carried out by ATIBT and the Union of Industrial Timber Producers of Côte d'Ivoire (SPIB) in collaboration with the European Forest Institute (EFI), with a view to strengthening the involvement of the private sector in the implementation of the FLEGT VPA and the operationalization of the National Timber Legality Verification System (SNVLT).

A field mission to the heart of the production basins

The mission covered several key areas of the timber industry, including Man, Duekoué, San-Pedro, Adzopé, Agboville, and Abidjan. In each locality, the project team organized plenary sessions bringing together stakeholders in the sector, followed by individual meetings with companies to identify their specific concerns and needs.

These exchanges provided an opportunity to explain the objectives of the PASSAD-Forêts project, to present the tools related to the legality and traceability of timber, and to gather feedback from companies on the challenges they face in complying with regulatory requirements.

Strong mobilization of private sector stakeholders

A total of thirty-seven (37) forestry companies, wood processing industries, and six (6) professional organizations took part in the meetings. The discussions provided an opportunity to explore several key topics in greater depth, including: Visits to companies and processing units also provided a better understanding of the operational realities of the sector.

understanding the requirements related to the SNVLT and timber traceability;
the difficulties encountered in applying the legal framework;
the need for technical and practical capacity building;
the integration of gender issues into forest legality tools and mechanisms.

Encouraging results

At the end of this mission, several advances were recorded:

a better understanding of the PASSAD-Forêts project by companies;
the identification of focal points within certain companies to facilitate the monitoring of activities;
the collection of training and technical support needs;
the reporting of recommendations from the private sector to improve legality and traceability tools;
the mapping of the companies visited.

Recommendations to strengthen compliance

The companies also made several recommendations to improve the implementation of legality mechanisms, including:

strengthening practical training on the SNVLT;
developing a simplified user guide for the system;
establishing a permanent mechanism for dialogue and feedback with the private sector;
strengthening communication on the requirements of the European Regulation on Deforestation (RDUE);
providing progressive support to companies in their compliance efforts.

Towards enhanced collaboration for a sustainable timber sector

This mission marks a key step in structuring dialogue with the private sector and supporting the operationalization of the SNVLT, with a view to promoting a more sustainable timber industry in Côte d'Ivoire.

The commitment of companies is genuine and promising. However, in order to fully achieve the objectives of legality and sustainability, ongoing technical support, simplified operational tools, and enhanced communication remain essential.