© Environment News Service (ENS) 2000
August 30, 2000

HELSINKI, Finland, August 30, 2000 (ENS) - Proponents of the two main schemes promoting sustainable forestry in Europe have clashed again in Finland over the schemes' respective merits.

Environmental group World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Finland yesterday hailed as a "major breakthrough" the news that, for the first time, five Finnish private forest owners had embarked on the process of acquiring certification through the global Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

A spokesperson added that a national FSC working group should be in place "within a month," and predicted that the FSC would gradually become the primary forest certification system in Finland.

The claim was immediately brushed aside by the rival Finnish Forest Certification System, which in April became one of the first participants in the alternative, industry inspired Pan-European Forest Certification Council (PEFCC).

"We've already completed certification procedures for eight of Finland's 13 regions, and expect to have 96-98 percent of forests in the country under our umbrella by the end of the year," spokesperson Hannu Valtanen said.

He claimed that the scheme had been given a great boost by British do-it-yourself chain B&Q's decision last year to recognise the Finnish national label - although not the wider PEFCC logo.

B&Q has been one of the most enthusiastic commercial supporters of sustainable forest certification, and a spokesperson confirmed that while FSC remained its preferred scheme, lack of material delivered under FSC was forcing it to look at alternatives.

WWF Finland insists that FSC has more ambitious environmental standards, particularly over protected areas, use of chemicals and genetically modified organisms as well as representation of wider stakeholders.

While accepting that PEFCC might well reach its Finnish target by the end of 2000, a WWF spokesperson predicted a groundswell of interest in FSC.

Meanwhile, PEFCC notched up a success of its own on Monday, when a German national forest certification scheme became the fourth to win the approval of directors - in addition to the Finnish scheme the other two are in Sweden and Norway.

Dirk Teegelbekkers of PEFCC Germany predicted that more than half the country's 5.3 million hectares would be signed up by the end of this year.

Both organizations attempt to assure consumers that their wood products sold under their logos are from forests managed sustainably according to a set of certification criteria.

Founded in 1993, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) defines itself as "an international, independent, non-governmental organization promoting environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world's forest. FSC accredits certifying organizations, who in turn, certify forestry organizations that meet FSC developed principles and criteria." The FSC is a membership association with more than 200 members from over 37 countries.

The PEFC scheme, a voluntary private sector initiative, provides assurance to the customers of woodland owners that the products they buy come from forests that are independently certified by a third party and managed according to the Pan European Criteria, as defined by the resolutions of the Helsinki and Lisbon Ministerial Conferences of 1993 and 1998 on the Protection of Forests in Europe.

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland have formally established national PEFC governing bodies.

{Published in cooperation with ENDS Environment Daily, Europe's choice for environmental news. Environmental Data Services Ltd, London. Email: envdaily@ends.co.uk} Error: Unable to read footer file.