Background
The Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC) is a membership-based global umbrella organization that provides a mutual recognition framework for national forest certification systems developed in a multi-stakeholder process. Mutual recognition is a process whereby an entity states that multiple certification systems meet its definition for sustainable forest management.
The organization was founded in 1999 for the purpose of promoting national forest certification systems, particularly in Europe. It has expanded to recognize systems throughout the world. The different national systems are mutually recognized as guaranteeing a level of sustainable forest management and certification procedures conforming to PEFC requirements.
Governance
The PEFC is a non profit organization consisting of the general assembly of members, a board of directors and an executive committee. The board is comprised of the chair of the PEFC Council, the two vice-chairs and up to 10 members elected by the general assembly for three years. The board’s composition reflects the geographical distribution of the members; the diversity of the forest types in which PEFC members operate; and a gender balance.
Standards
The PEFC recognizes national certification systems with standards based on intergovernmental processes for sustainable forest management. Examples include the Pan European Forest Process and the Montreal Process. Recognized systems must also be compatible with Pan-European Operational Level Guidelines (PEOLG) or an equivalent framework. The Pan European Forest Process is based on criteria that address biodiversity, maintenance and enhancement of forest ecosystems; conservation of soil and water resources; the contribution of forests to global carbon cycles; assuring an appropriate balance of wood and non-timber benefits; and maintaining the socioeconomic values of forests.
National standards are developed by forming a body of interested parties such as forest owners, processors, environmental groups and retailers. The standards are subject to public review and consultation. Once a standard has received national approval it is submitted to the PEFC for its review and mutual recognition process.Each of national standard goes through a public consultation and independent assessment process to decide whether it is to be mutually recognized.
Accreditation
The PEFC requires certification organizations capable of carrying out sustainable forest management audits to be accredited by a designated national accreditation body. Such bodies must be members of the European co-operation for Accreditation or the International Accreditation Forum. A national accreditation body operates according to International Organization for Standardization guidelines that define requirements for accreditation bodies and carries out a certification body’s documentation review as well as a field audit. Additionally, accredited certifiers are monitored regularly and required to undergo subsequent accreditations every five years.
Certification
The third-party auditors carrying out the certification shall use established internal procedures for auditing forest management so long as they conform to relevant ISO guidelines for certifying environmental performance. These procedures must adhere to national forest management standards and applicable standards for chain of custody tracking, if the flow of raw material is being certified. Certified entities are subject to annual surveillance audits and are subject to recertification every five years.
Product Tracking and Labeling
The PEFC developed a generic international chain of custody (COC) standard for tracking and labeling certified products. Although COC requirements may vary by country, entities wishing to use the PEFC label must meet its requirements. The PEFC permits the tracking of certified raw material through one of two basic approaches:
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A physical separation model that separately stores and uses certified material |
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A percentage-based model that allows companies to mix certified and uncertified raw material but to verify and communicate the percentage of the certified raw material |
The PEFC COC standard and all of the endorsed national COC have a controversial sources policy. Essentially, suppliers of raw materials or products must have a signed self-declaration that the material or product does not come from a controversial source, which is interpreted by most systems as an illegal source. However, some national systems have provisions to limit material originating in ecologically valuable forests as well.
The PEFC has an on-product label for forest managers and companies that meet the COC requirements. The PEFC logo can be used without an accompanying product claim. The PEFC allows label users that relied on the percentage-based model to state on the label that the product is “promoting sustainable management” so long as a minimum of 70 percent of the material is certified. Sources that use the physical separation model can claim that the product “comes from sustainably managed forests.”
PEFC on the Ground
PEFC Council Asbl
17, Rue des Girondins
L-1626 Hollerich
Luxembourg
Tel: +352 26 25 90 59
Fax: +352 26 25 92 58
Web site: www.pefc.org
