Croatian Forest Certification System submitted for assessment

5 June 2024 PEFC system news

The Croatian Forest Certification Scheme has been submitted to PEFC for assessment. The public consultation, which is your chance to give your feedback on this new system, will run from 17 June to 16 August 2024.

This is the first time that CUPFOA, the Croatian Union of Private Forest Owners Associations, the PEFC national member for Croatia, has submitted its national system to PEFC for endorsement.

Find out more about the national system.

To provide you with additional information about this new national system, we are holding a webinar on 17 June at 10:00 CEST.

The assessment process

After developing the national system in line with PEFC requirements, CUPFOA submitted the system to PEFC for endorsement. The national system is now undergoing the PEFC assessment process, carried out by an independent PEFC Registered Assessor. It must pass this process and be approved by the PEFC General Assembly before it can achieve endorsement.

An important aspect of the assessment process is the public consultation. Over the sixty-day consultation, stakeholders from around the world can give their comments and provide feedback on any aspect of the system. The Registered Assessor will use the information received from this consultation in their assessment of the system.

The situation in Croatia

Croatia has 2.7 million hectares of forest, with 25% privately owned. Currently, many smallholders face challenges in achieving certification due to their forests' size and fragmentation.

“A significant challenge in Croatian private forest management is the small-scale properties, with an average of less than one hectare per owner, often in separate plots,” explains Miljenko Županić, Secretary General of CUPFOA.

This is where a PEFC-endorsed national system can make a difference.

“The PEFC standard-setting rules provide a good opportunity for Croatian forest stakeholders to develop national standards for forest certification, respecting both the PEFC requirements and national specifics."

We spoke with Miljenko after CUPFOA had become a PEFC member last November. He shared insight into forests and forestry in his country and why his organization chose to become the PEFC national member for Croatia.