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| The Austrian PEFC certification system has been revised and submitted to the PEFC Council for re-endorsement. This revision and assessment for re-endorsement is part of PEFC?s safeguard mechanisms for credible forest certification systems, to continuously incorporate latest scientific knowledge and practical experience into national PEFC endorsed standards. To ensure transparency and allow multi-stakeholder participation in all steps of the endorsement process, the full documentation of the Austrian system is made publicly available at the PEFC Council website for comments.
"PEFC endorsed certification systems are reviewed every five years, using the same strict and rigorous assessment procedures that systems seeking endorsement for the first time currently have to fulfill" said Ben Gunneberg, Secretary General of the PEFC Council. "At first systems are reviewed and revised at a national level together with all stakeholders. Once a national consensus decision has been reached, the revised system is submitted to the PEFC Council, which selects an independent and external consultancy to assess the system's compliance with the international PEFC benchmark requirements for endorsed certification systems."
The consultant selected to assess the Austrian system is SAVCOR INDUFOR OY. Part of its assessment is a public consultation period in which the general public is invited to make comments on the certification system. All received comments will be considered in the consultant's final assessment report, which will form the basis for the decision of the PEFC General Assembly members, whether or not to endorse the revised Austrian system. "I invite all interested parties to review the revised system on our website at www.pefc.org and send comments directly to the independent consultant SAVCOR INDUFOR OY by 19 September 2005", Mr Gunneberg added.
If approved, the system will be recognized worldwide for another 5 years through PEFC. An official announcement will be made and the consultant's full report will be published on the PEFC Council website.
The revised Austrian forest certification system can be reviewed under: http://www.pefc.org
For more information please contact:
Consultants
SAVCOR INDUFOR OY
Ms Hanna Nikinmaa
T??l?nkatu 11 A
FIN-00100 Helsinki
Finland
Tel +358 684 0110
Fax. +358 9 135 2552
Email: indufor@savcor.com
http://www.savcor.com
Applicant
PEFC Austria
Mr Dietmar Hagauer
Alserstrasse 21/1/5
A-1080 Vienna
Austria
Tel +43 1 402 470 117
Fax +43 1 58 886 222
Email: info@pefc.at
http://www.pefc.at
PEFC Council
Mr Oliver Scholz
17, rue des Girondins
L-1626 Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Tel +352 26 25 90 59
Fax +352 26 25 92 58
Email: pefc@pt.lu
http://www.pefc.org
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Editor Notes
Forest Certification
Forest certification is a process which provides an assurance mechanism to purchasers of wood and paper products that the wood used in the products comes from sustainably managed forest. Sustainably managed forest are those whose management implements performance standards based on internationally agreed environmental, social and economical requirements.
PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes)
PEFC is a framework for the mutual recognition of credible national or regional forest certification schemes that have been developed based on internationally recognised requirements for sustainable forest management. Since its launch in 1999, PEFC has become the largest forest certification umbrella organisation covering national schemes from all over the world, delivering hundreds of millions of tonnes of wood to the processing industry and then onto the market place from over 123 million hectares of certified forests. PEFC has strong grass roots support from many stakeholders including the forestry sector, governments, trade associations, trade unions and non-governmental organisations.
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