Footprints in the forest - Fern

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the PEFC member countries is allowed to conduct PEFC certification in any other of the countries where PEFC has members (Dahl, L. 2002). The certifiers follow the PEFCC requirements for certifiers set out in Annex 6 of the Technical Document 60 . The certification process entails field visits but stakeholder consultation during the certification process is not required 61 . Certificates are regularly revisited, though the frequency of the monitoring audits varies from certifier to certifier between every 6 to 12 months (Dahl, L. 2002). Monitoring audits consists of a desk review of the forest management plan as well as field visits to control all aspects of the standard. The certification bodies have developed their own sampling methods for monitoring, which differ from one another. For example SGS Sweden AB considers that the scope of the sampling depends on the quality of the umbrella organization’s internal audit and has visited 20 forest owners during their last audit of the Southern Forest Owners Association, Södra, which counts 10 000 members 62 . On the other hand, Det Norske Veritas had visited all the forest owners within the Northern Independent Sawmill Association (Prosilva) (Dahl, L. 2002). As regards to group certification, the umbrella organizations are required to carry out regular internal monitoring audits of their members. The monitoring procedures for group certification include field visits 63 . Internal audit of only 5% of the members of a group certification scheme is required if the umbrella organization has more than 1000 members, which is the case for most of the Forest Owners Associations in Sweden (Dahl, L. 2002). Only two associations carried out field visits in 2001 – Södra visited 2,5 % and Vastra 9 % 64 . Criteria V: Full transparency to all concerned parties and the public According to WWF Sweden transparency within the Swedish PEFC system is “essentially non-existent” (Dahl, L. 2002). The main shortcomings identified by WWF Sweden are: 1- Consultation of interested parties is not required during the certification process in the Swedish PEFC. 2- Public registers of the forest owners that are members of an umbrella organization are not publicly available. 3- Certification or audit reports are not publicly available. 60 PEFCC. Annex 6: Certification and Accreditation Procedures, available at http://www.pefc.org . June 2003. Original with the author. 61 Folke Stenström, Executive Director PEFC Sweden. Response to the PEFC questionnaire. June 23, 2003 62 Comment from Jan-Åke Lundén in the magazine Miljörapporten May 16, 2002 63 PEFC Sweden. Vägledningsdokument för paraplyorganisationer 64 Lena Dahl, WWF Sweden. Response to PEFC questionnaire. June 18, 2003 23
Because registers are not publicly available, it is difficult for external parties to find out which forest owners are PEFC certified, which in turn makes it hard if not impossible for external parties to monitor the certification process and outcomes and hinders the possibilities of bringing forward a complaint 65 . However, web publication of summary reports will become mandatory in Sweden as of January 1, 2004. The certification body will be responsible for the publication of the summary report 66 . Criteria VI: Certification at the forest management unit level, rather than at country or regional level The Swedish PEFC scheme operates solely at the Forest Management Unit (FMU) level, either through individual or group certification. There is no regional certification in Sweden. This implies that a certification contract is signed with every individual forest owner within an umbrella group (such as a Forest Owners Association) and directly with larger owners outside an umbrella group, which are then audited directly by a certifier (PEFC Sweden Technical document 2002). Criteria VII: Cost effectiveness and voluntary nature There is no fixed cost / hectare for PEFC certification that the forest owner is charged. Costs for forest-certification and auditing are usually subsidized by the forest owners association while costs for chain of custody are covered by the enterprise which applies for it 67 . Criteria VIII: Commitments from the forest owner/manager to improving forest management According to WWF Sweden, the main incentive for forest owners to become PEFC certified is that that can get more money for PEFC certified than uncertified timber, and that the certification is sponsored by the forest owners associations 68 . According to PEFC the main advantage of PEFC certification for forest owners is a better access to the market and – in some cases - a price premium 69 . 65 Per Larsson, WWF Sweden. Personal conversation July 6, 2003. 66 Folke Stenström, Executive Director PEFC Sweden. Response to the PEFC questionnaire. June 23, 2003 67 Ibid 68 Lena Dahl, WWF Sweden. Response to PEFC questionnaire. June 18, 2003 69 Folke Stenström, Executive Director PEFC Sweden. Response to the PEFC questionnaire. June 23, 2003 24
Page 1 and 2: PEFC Footprints in the forest Curre
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents Introduction 3 Co
Page 5 and 6: II. Conclusions The main purpose of
Page 7 and 8: efore a regional certificate is iss
Page 9 and 10: III Overview of all PEFCC members a
Page 11 and 12: 3.2. Decision making structure and
Page 13 and 14: Decision making structure/voting wi
Page 15 and 16: owners association) after a third-p
Page 17 and 18: of the private forest owners in Lat
Page 19 and 20: SWITZERLAND This is the web site of
Page 21 and 22: IV. PEFC Sweden Author: Elisa Peter
Page 23: A new standard for group-certificat
Page 27 and 28: SWEDAC has its own regulations to h
Page 29 and 30: VI PEFC Finland This section will b
Page 31 and 32: Criteria II: Equal and balanced par
Page 33 and 34: The second step is the verification
Page 35 and 36: Criteria XII: A transparent and hig
Page 37 and 38: PEFC Germany - status of certificat
Page 39 and 40: assessed during field visits then s
Page 41 and 42: The complaints mechanism is based o
Page 43 and 44: Annex 1 - List of PEFC members (fro
Page 46 and 47: Annex 2 - PEFC Belgium Charter CHAR
Page 48 and 49: and grazing, where the dimensions a
Page 50 and 51: 5-3 Are summary reports of certific
Page 52: References Dahl, L. April 2002. Bak

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