Germany successfully gains PEFC re-endorsement

Germany?s national PEFC forest certification system has successfully achieved re-endorsement by the PEFC Council for another 5 years until 2010. The system was fully revised in an extensive and transparent process, during which the latest scientific knowledge, practical experience and new requirements were incorporated.

The PEFC system has become the preferred choice of hundreds of thousands of forest owners in Germany, who are committed to demonstrate social responsibility and manage their forests according to the stringent PEFC requirements. As a result, the overwhelming majority of the country's 40 million cubic meters annual timber harvest now comes from PEFC certified forests. In addition more than 550 producers and retailers of paper and timber products in Germany have chosen the system for their businesses and are sourcing their certified raw materials and products from well and sustainably managed PEFC forests.

At international level, independent forest certification systems from six continents are part of the global PEFC certification movement, accounting for more than three quarters of all certified forests globally. The vast majority of them, 21 national systems, have passed the rigorous PEFC assessment and endorsement process and are entitled to use the PEFC logo for the labelling of timber and paper products from exemplary forest management. Another 11 systems are working towards PEFC endorsement.

For more information please contact:
Mr Oliver Scholz, Communications Manager PEFC Council
Tel. + 352 26 25 90 59
Mr Dirk Teegelbekkers Secretary General PEFC Germany
Tel. + 49 711 2484 006

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 forests. Sustainably managed forests 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 175 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.