Spanish stakeholders in PEFC's national forest certification scheme highlight importance of meeting needs of 'vulnerable' small forest holders during 60-day public consultations on Spanish, Swiss programs that close on Aug. 2

Wendy Lisney

GENEVA , June 3, 2013 (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)) – The Spanish Forest Certification Scheme and the Swiss PEFC Scheme are open for global public consultation, PEFC International announced today. Both national forest certification systems are seeking PEFC endorsement for the third time. Stakeholders globally are invited to provide feedback on their compliance with PEFC International's Sustainability Benchmarks by 2 August 2013.

With PEFC International limiting the validity of endorsements to five years, national schemes must be revised in multi-stakeholder processes and apply for re-endorsement to continue benefitting from PEFC recognition.

As part of the endorsement process, PEFC seeks comments and feedback from all interested parties to ensure full compliance of the national systems with PEFC's Sustainability Benchmark during a 60-day global public consultation.

Spanish stakeholders placed special emphasis on the applicability of certification requirements to small forest holders to increase the value that forest certification offers to this most vulnerable group, which in the Spanish context is also of utmost importance to sustainable rural development.

"We strongly believe it is important to maintain the momentum among the forests owners and public and private managers generated through the revision process and to keep their commitment to maintain and enhance the levels of certification" said Ana Belén Noriega, Secretary General of PEFC Spain. "This is especially important in view of the importance of certified timber for biomass, and especially the added value that forest owners can derive from certification in the current economic crises."

All comments received during the global public consultation will provide valuable information for the third-party assessor in determining whether the respective national systems aew in compliance with international requirements.

Interested stakeholders are invited to use PEFC's Online Consultation Tool to provide comments on the Spanish Forest Certification Scheme and the Swiss PEFC Scheme by 2 August 2013.

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