The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is going ahead with the World Bank in a joint project to assess the effectiveness of forestry and timber certification schemes, despite the refusal of the PEFC to co-operate.

The WWF and World Bank in their “Alliance for Forest Conservation & Sustainable Use” will initially field test its system for evaluating the certification schemes.

Known as the QACC (questionnaire for assessing the comprehensiveness of certification systems), this will then be used more widely to evaluate whether certified forestry projects are up to the mark, in the Alliance’s view, and qualify for World Bank funding. The ultimate aim is to increase the area of certified forestry worldwide to 200 million ha by 2005.

&#8220The Alliance does not give a right of veto to any particular group on what should be included in the instrument or the process to test it”

Duncan Pollard, head of the WWF European Forest Programme

However, the PEFC scheme has had issues with the way that the QACC has been developed from the outset. It objected to the way the questionnaire was framed and maintained that there was a lack of consultation.

The Alliance said that it had included the PEFC in the whole process, along with the FSC and a range of stakeholders, and that some of the changes it suggested were being made. However, Duncan Pollard, head of the WWF European Forest Programme, said that it had gone as far as it could and would now push ahead with the field test.

“We are committed to being neutral and objective, but this does not mean the Alliance gives a right of veto to any particular group on what should be included in the instrument or the process to test it,” he said.

&#8220After months of efforts to improve the methodology of the QACC, we have had no option but to reject the invitation to participate in a biased assessment of forest certification schemes in Europe”

PEFC spokesperson

The PEFC is equally adamant that it cannot sanction the QACC process.

“After months of efforts to obtain information and to improve the methodology of the QACC , the PEFC, the world’s largest forest certification umbrella, has had no option but to reject the World Bank-WWF invitation to participate in a biased assessment of forest certification schemes in Europe this autumn,” it stated.

The QACC trial will take place in 12 European countries.