Sweden has submitted a new forest certification system for approval by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) Schemes Council.
The country, which has successfully run a PEFC system for the past five years, submitted the application to comply with the council’s requirement that national schemes be reviewed every five years.
The application, to be assessed by consultant FORM International, also incorporates the latest scientific knowledge and practical experience in the standard, including recommendations form the Stockdove process – the bridging document for the Swedish PEFC and Forest Stewardship Council standards.
Sweden’s proposed system allows group certification of individual forest owners or direct certification of forest companies and contractors.
During the past five years 6.5 million ha of Swedish forests have been PEFC-certified and more than 100 companies have achieved chain of custody certification.
