Moscow. Jun 01, 2009. /Lesprom Network/. The Finnish PEFC Forest Certification Standard Setting Working Group has unanimously adopted new standards for Finland's PEFC forest certification. New criteria include, for example, standards concerning harvesting of energy wood, multi-purpose use of forests and use of foreign labour, as reported by the Nordic Forets Owners' Association.
Forty instances interested in sustainable exploitation of forests, among them the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK), participated in the Working Group, which was established in September 2008.
Ms Sirkka Hautojärvi, chairwoman of the Working Group, says that new features in comparison with the previous revision made five years ago are for example standards concerning harvesting of energy wood, multi-purpose exploitation of forests and use of foreign labour. The Working Group also emphasized the importance of forests as carbon sinks.
Altogether 29 different criteria were established for forest certification which define ecologically, socially, culturally and economically sustainable forestry in PEFC-certified forests.
Ms Ritva Toivonen, chairwoman of PEFC Finland - the Finnish Forest Certification Council, who received the Working group's report, said that the adoption of these criteria constitutes an important milestone in the revision of the Finnish PEFC system. These criteria give a clear picture of the common objectives of Finnish forestry.
The revised criteria will be sent to the international PEFC in autumn 2009 for evaluation and re-endorsement. They will be taken into use after endorsement by the international PEFC. An evaluation of the application of these criteria will be made in 2011 by independent certification bodies.
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