The Polish Forest Certification System was endorsed in 2008 and re-endorsed in 2015. The latest system is under assessment.

2012 system documentation

Endorsement milestones

To maintain its PEFC endorsement, the system must meet specific endorsement milestones. The first milestone is the start of the periodic review within five years of the national approval of the sustainable forest management standard.

• National approval date: 19 December 2012
• Review date: 14 November 2019*

* The review date is linked to the approval date of the revised Sustainable Forest Management standard PEFC ST 1003 (14 November 2018).

2022 system assessment

• Status: Public consultation finished, assessment ongoing
• Type: Revised system (maintaining the endorsement)
• Download the system documentation
• System submitted for assessment: 14 May 2022
• Consultation: 27 June - 25 August 2022
• Assessor: Form international

Watch the recording of the webinar to find out more about this national system.

System history

• Joined PEFC: 31 October 2003
• Endorsed: 11 March 2008
• Re-endorsed: 3 December 2015

PEFC Poland

History before PEFC

The Forest Research Institute was established in 1930 as an Experimental Station of the State Forests. In 1934 it was transformed into the Forest Research Institute of the State Forests and since 1945 it has been acting as the Forest Research Institute, currently being subordinated to the Minister of the Environment.

The beginnings of PEFC in Poland date back to 2003 when the PEFC Poland was established on the initiative of the State Forests at the Main Board of the Association of Foresters and Wood Technologists (SITLiD). SITLiD became a PEFC member with its headquarters in Luxembourg. In the same year, work on the Polish forestry certification system began, and in December 2003 the initial standards were presented.

The final audit report, which positively evaluates standards and recommends their adoption by PEFC, was published in November 2007 and a few months later, in March 2008, PEFC International officially recognized the Polish scheme.

From November 2009, on the base of a tripartite agreement of the Association of Foresters and Wood Technologists, Forest Research Institute and PEFC in Geneva, the PEFC Poland was affiliated to the Forestry Research Institute, which became the administrator of the PEFC scheme in Poland.