PEFC emphasizes importance of reaching out beyond the traditional forest sector

21 October 2015 News

PEFC calls for a strengthened FOREST EUROPE to respond adequately to todays and tomorrow's challenges as well as opportunities, with renewed and enhanced contribution to the sustainable forest management in Europe and beyond.

PEFC also supports a FOREST EUROPE that reaches out beyond the traditional forest sector and actively involves interests of relevance for landscape level land management approaches, the bio- and circular economy, climate change mitigation and renewable energy, non-wood forest products etc.

These formed part of the PEFC statement at this week’s 7th Forest Europe Ministerial Conference, taking place in Madrid, Spain. This Ministerial Conference for the Protection of Forests in Europe brought together high-level representatives to discuss issues of the highest relevance regarding current challenges for European forests and the forest sector.

The PEFC Statement

The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) appreciates the opportunity to share its views on the future challenges and opportunities of the European forest sector.

PEFC is the global alliance of leading national forest certification systems. Initiated by European small-, family- and private forest owners some 15 years ago, it is today the world's largest forest certification system.

PEFC recognizes that FOREST EUROPE and the outcomes of its processes, specifically the Pan-European Operational Level Guidelines (PEOLG) for Sustainable Forest Management and associated indicators, define sustainable forest management globally, beyond European. They form the basis for PEFC's Sustainability Benchmarks and as such provide the framework for the sustainable management of 270 million hectares of PEFC-certified forests in 35 countries around the world. By 2020, it is expected that PEFC national forest certification systems, and consequently the utilisation of the work undertaken by FOREST EUROPE, will expand to close to 60 countries.

PEFC's work is complementary to the work of FOREST EUROPE. FOREST EUROPE provides for a high-level political process for dialogue and cooperation on forest policies in Europe and stipulates voluntary commitments for implementing sustainable forest management adapted to national circumstances. FOREST EUROPE is also involved with other global and regional intergovernmental processes and initiatives dealing with issues of highest political and social relevance related to forests. PEFC, for its part, utilizes the work of FOREST EUROPE and additional requirements and provides for local adaptation and on-the ground implementation, with thousands of people involved in PEFC's bottom-up, multi-stakeholder standard setting processes forming consensus on sustainable be forest management workable certification standards, in alignment with the expectations of stakeholders on the ground, consistent with the legal and administrative framework, the socio-cultural context and other locally relevant factors, and with due regard for  national sovereignty.

PEFC welcomes the 7th Ministerial Conference and the documents to be endorsed by the Ministers as significant progress specifically given today's challenging and complex framework conditions. They will serve as an important input into PEFC's upcoming revision of its Sustainability Benchmarks 2016/2017.

Through its experience in stakeholder engagement over the past 16 years, PEFC is aware that any discussion about future challenges and opportunities only represents a very time limited snap shot based on the current understanding of any particular constituency. This is why an on-going stakeholder dialogue that enables participation of a wider range of stakeholder groups must be at the core of any process, including FE, tacking future challenges and opportunities

Therefore PEFC supports a strong FOREST EUROPE, a FOREST EUROPE that is characterized by inclusive, transparent and consensus-driven processes. PEFC supports a FOREST EUROPE that provides a framework that allows for conflicting and sometimes contradictory viewpoints to be raised, discussed, and resolved. PEFC envisages FOREST EUROPE to employ processes that are – not unlike its own – based on trust, shared objectives, and mutual understanding, and that make it difficult for individual stakeholders to remove him- or herself from the process.

PEFC supports a FOREST EUROPE that reaches out beyond the traditional forest sector and actively involves interests of relevance for landscape level land management approaches, the bio- and circular economy, climate change mitigation and renewable energy, non-wood forest products etc.

PEFC therefore welcomes to review the FOREST EUROPE process, especially considering its structure, procedures and work modalities, reflecting the advances made in stakeholder participation and involvement made over the past two decades, making it more effective and meaningful for all. In this context, PEFC strongly recommends also to assess the European institutional arrangements on forests in general, including the set-up of international organizations such as the FAO and UNECE.

PEFC reinforces its commitment to offer its political support and remain a constructive partner to FOREST EUROPE and encourages the Signatories to lead this process to a more concrete and ambitious level. PEFC calls for a strengthened FOREST EUROPE to respond adequately to todays and tomorrow's challenges as well as opportunities, with renewed and enhanced contribution to the sustainable forest management in Europe and beyond.