PEFC Finland has become the first national forest certification system that is undergoing PEFC International's rigorous assessment process for the third-time. As with all assessments, stakeholders are encouraged to provide comments and feedback during the the global public consultation period, which ends on 26 April 2010.

"Stakeholder engagement in the development and revision of forest certification criteria at national level is of fundamental importance for their credibility and acceptance," said Ben Gunneberg, PEFC Secretary General. "This is way we require all national certification systems aiming at becoming recognized by PEFC at global level to develop their standards in a process that involves all interested stakeholders at local level."

Almost forty stakeholder groups, including consumers and retailers, recreational users of forests, workers and entrepreneurs, researchers, reindeer herders and Sami people participated in the standard setting working group in Finland.

"The PEFC standard setting process has become one the most important fora in Finland to discuss issues related to sustainable forest management ", explains Auvo Kaivola, PEFC Finland Secretary General.  "The revised Finnish standards have been developed jointly by Finnish stakeholders, and we are confident that the endorsement process by PEFC International will demonstrate their ongoing compliance with the international Sustainability Benchmarks."

Social issues such as employment of foreign labor, work-life balance, and sub-contracting were at the center of the revision process. In addition, environmental criteria, including criteria concerning the preservation of peat lands and other valuable ecosystem habitats, received special attention, and criteria for the multi-purpose use of forests (recreation, game management, collection of organic forest products such as mushrooms) were elaborated further.

The Finnish certification system was originally endorsed by PEFC in May 2000 and re-endorsed in March 2005.

Please submit your comments directly to the assessor, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (FORM International), by 26th April 2010.

Further Information

• Revised Scheme Documentation ( 1.2 MB)
• Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , FORM International
• Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it