Footprints in the forest - Fern

odies conducting certification against the PEFC standard (PEFC Sweden, 2003). It is 2
pages long and includes guidance to the certification bodies on how to interpret the PEFC
standard.
Accreditation decisions for accredited certification bodies are always monitored by regular
surveillance visits, normally once a year, which include both a review of internal
documentation as well as field visits. All the PEFC certification bodies have already been
monitored once as regards to their office and administrative procedures and field visits
will take place this year. Surveillance visits revealed only minor bureaucratic noncompliances
which were rectified 83 .
Anyone can bring forward a complaint to SWEDAC, which either handles it directly (if
the complaint concerns the accreditation outcome) or passes it onto the certification
body, which is required by SWEDAC to address the complaint. In case of complaints
concerning the PEFC standard, the complaint is passed onto PEFC Sweden. No
complaints have been filed to SWEDAC so far 84 .
If major non-compliances are found or if it is brought to SWEDAC’s notice in some other
way that the organization is no longer fulfilling the requirements for accreditation,
SWEDAC can withdraw its accreditation or restrict its application. A full reassessment is
normally performed every fourth year, carried out in the same way was the first time
assessment 85 .
83 Ibid
84 Ibid
85 SWEDAC http://www.sedac.se June 2003. Original with the author
27