PEFC Council Position Statement on recent WWF Press Release on Austrian Forest Certification Scheme

• Constructive criticism aimed at improving a scheme is always welcome.Although the legal opinion sought may,possibly,fall into this category,the inaccurate, sensationalist press release and associated discredited secondary report do not.PEFC requires adherence to national law and therefore regards WWF ?s attempts to dress up legal "opinion "as "confirmation "of violation of Austrian law,as irresponsible,misleading and not becoming to the organisation ?s reputation.PEFC finds curious and questions the true objectives behind WWF ?s need to combine a legal opinion with recycled, untrue and misleading statements,supposedly based on an already discredited report,to try and make its press release "newsworthy " .PEFC notes that yet again,reports have been commissioned and views sought by WWF without any reference to the organisation in question.PEFC questions the value and motives behind such negative "campaigns "normally associated with the more radical end of the conservation organisations spectrum.PEFC Austria will consider the legal "opinion "sought by WWF,on points of Austrian law and act accordingly,as any responsible organisation would.PEFC regrets the fact that after WWF ?s own experiences (for example the dubious accusations of "illegal projects "as published in the Sydney Morning Herald,2 nd March 2001 "No Way to Save Trees "by Andy Rowell) WWF resorts to similar unhelpful tactics.PEFC continues to invite and calls on WWF to participate actively in the PEFC process and to play a constructive role in the forest certification debate and to participate in PEFC is ongoing development in a manner befitting its reputation.