The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC) has become an associate member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).

PEFC Council secretary-general Ben Gunneberg said: “The IAF’s goal is certified once – accepted everywhere. This goal is fully supported by the PEFC Council.

“We will now actively participate in IAF’s accreditation harmonisation processes to ensure that accredited forest certification certificates issued in one part of the world are recognsied everywhere else in the world.”

&#8220Our membership will enable closer cooperation and harmonisation between these three tasks in a way that will increase confidence of businesses and their customers using accredited third party certifications in the forestry sector
”

Ben Gunneberg, PEFCC secretary-general

He explained that the international rules defined by International Standard Organisation required that standard setting, certification and accreditation must be fully separated and said IAF membership as a standards setting organisation created the final link between these three tasks for the forest certification world.

Mr Gunneberg said: “Our membership will enable closer cooperation and harmonisation between these three tasks in a way that will increase confidence of businesses and their customers using accredited third party certifications in the forestry sector.”