PEFC has improved the standard of forest management

A study including three of the PEFC re-endorsed systems, in Finland, Norway and Sweden, on the "Effectiveness and Efficiency of FSC and PEFC forest certification on pilot areas in Nordic countries" revealed that PEFC certification had improved the standard of forest management.

Mrs Hanna Nikinmaa of Savcor Indufor said during the presentation of the results that "Certification has improved the standards of forest management in all three countries and has evened out some of the differences between the countries".

Independent studies confirm PEFC?s high standards and quality

PEFC receives excellent ratings in independent studies comparing various certification systems globally, as demonstrated in the CEPI Comparative Matrix (www.forestrycertification.info - Summary of Findings).

Experts of Yale and Columbia Universities in collaboration with the World Economic Forum drew up the 2005 Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI), ranking environmental sustainability at a national scale. PEFC certified forests were counted as one criteria contributing to the ESI. Several countries with a high percentage of PEFC certified forests, such as Finland, Norway, Sweden and Austria, ranked among the top ten of the 2005 Environmental Sustainability Index.

Governmental Public Procurement Policies specify PEFC certified products for public contracts to demonstrate legality and sustainability

PEFC is chosen by a wide range of governmental public timber procurement policies as evidence of legal and sustainable sourcing of timber and paper products. Public Procurement Policies from the following countries include PEFC: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom.

In addition the EU Parliament has passed a resolution in February 2006, recommending PEFC certification as "suitable ... to give consumers assurances concerning sustainable forest management."