A new era in Indonesia-EU trade will begin in just a few weeks, as Indonesia becomes the first country in the world to have its timber products — from floorboards to furniture — exempted from the EU’s strict controls against illegal logging.

In forested nations like Indonesia, illegal logging has long deprived the government of tax revenue, caused deforestation, undercut law-abiding businesses and thwarted sustainable timber production.

Global efforts to limit climate change suffer, as do indigenous peoples and other communities that depend on forests for their incomes and way of life.

In its efforts to root out illegal logging through trade measures, the EU introduced its EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which entered into force in March 2013.

The EUTR prohibits anyone in the EU from placing timber products from illegal sources on the EU market. And it ...