The Bosnian PEFC initiative meets the Republic of Srpska’s government
The Bosnian PEFC initiative met representatives from the Republic of Srpska to discuss the advancement of the Bosnia and Herzegovinian initiative to become a national member of PEFC and the support to develop a national system for the country.
The Bosnian PEFC initiative meets the Republic of Srpska’s government
5 May 2020 News
In late February, a delegation of the Bosnian and Herzegovinan (BiH) PEFC initiative met high level representatives from the Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy in Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On the agenda was the advancement of the Bosnian and Herzegovinan initiative to become a national member of PEFC and the support to develop a sustainable forestry certification system for the country.
Mr. PhD Boris Pašalić, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Srpska, and Assistant Minister Goran Zubic welcomed Dušan Topić and Aleksandar Mrkobrada from Naša Šuma, the BiH association of private forest owners.
Also representatives of the Institute for Forest Certification – our national member for Slovenia – and our international stakeholder member Connecting Natural Values and People Foundation (CNVP), took part in the discussion, along with Rémi Sournia, Development Manager at PEFC International.
The initiative, led by Naša Šuma, has been supported by CNVP and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Srpska, with an initial funding from PEFC. Minister Boris Pašalić has confirmed further political and financial support for the process with the objective of developing a sustaining financial model for the initiative.
Representing the BiH small and family forest owners, Naša Šuma is preparing for the role of National Governing Body for Bosnia and Herzegovina and plays an important part in the development of the forest management standard for the Republic of Srpska.
Better together
In addition, "Naša Šuma" is working with the PEFC national members of Slovenia and North Macedonia on a regional approach. This approach which will bring the sustainable forest management standards of Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Slovenia under one system, while keeping the door open for the other countries in the region, such as Croatia, to join at a later stage.