What happened?

The Presidency of the Government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea issued Decree No. 84/2020, dated 15th of September, prohibiting the felling of trees and the exploitation of timber in the Republic of Equatorial Guinea (the “Decree”).

The objective of the Decree is to strengthen the current legal system and circumstances, after it came to light that logging operators had been infringing the provisions of Law No. 1/1997, dated 18th of February, regulating the Use and Management of Forests in the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Decree No. 7/2017, dated 31st of January and Decree No. 182/2018, dated 28th of November, which regulate the prohibition of logging of protected species, as well as the export of round-wood throughout the national territory.

The Decree entered into force on the 22nd of September 2020.

What are the Consequences?

• Reaffirmation of the ban on logging and indiscriminate felling of protected species of trees, such as Oveng and others
• All authorisations and resolutions granted to companies and individuals, including those for the logging of communal forests, have been revoked.
• Issuance of new rules for forest exploitation.
• The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry and the Environment is empowered to ensure strict control of the provisions of the Decree.

What should my Company do?

In-Depth Advice

Contact your local advisors to review the current legislation in detail and find out how it will affect your company’s operations.

Monitor

Continue to monitor any subsequent modifications and changes to the laws and regulations promulgated by the Government.

Engaging with the Ministry of Agriculture

Engage with the Ministry of Agriculture to obtain any further requirements implemented after the issuance of the Decree.

Reapplying for an Authorisation or Resolution

Prepare a new application and submit it to the Ministry of Agriculture.

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