The document summarizes a stakeholder seminar on revising the requirements for group forest certification under PEFC. It discusses three key challenges facing certification: 1) expanding certification to more of the world's forests, 2) the uneven distribution of certified forests globally, and 3) securing market access. The revision aims to make requirements more flexible, feasible, and robust while maintaining stakeholder confidence. It outlines the revision process, including establishing working groups, a public consultation period, and final approval. The presentation focuses on proposed changes to documentation and requirements for group forest management certification.

1. Stakeholder seminar
Revision of PEFC requirements
Part 3: Requirements for Group forest certification
Geneva, Switzerland (3nd June 2010)
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2. Global Challenges for Certification
PEFC Stakeholder Dialogue
Geneva 2st June 2010
Ben Gunneberg
PEFC Council Secretary General
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3. Over last ten years:
Increasing public and consumer awareness and knowledge
Increasing involvement by governments at all levels
Concept of “corporate social responsibility" adopted – and
implemented – by more and more companies
Forest management has become a global procurement issue
The rise of issues such as climate change, social issues,
biodiversity – and the potential contribution by forests
especially in the tropics
Forest certification is now a solution provider
3 However….

4. Challenge 1: Expansion of Certification
8% 26 66
% %
Only 8% of the world’s forests are certified – have we stalled?
Only 26% of the world’s industrial roundwood supply is certified – after
almost 20 years of forest certification
66% of the total area certified to PEFC
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5. Challenge 2: Distribution of certification
82 million ha, 26% of world’s
certified forests 180 million ha, 56% of world’s
60
52.8
certified forests
50
% of total forest area
40 38.3
30
20
10 5.2
2.8 2.5 0.9 0.8
0
Western North Oceania CIS Latin America Africa Asia
Europe America
CIS = Commonwealth of independent states
5 Source: UNECE/FAO Forest Products Annual Market Review 2008-2009

6. Challenge 3: Securing Market Access
Legislation and procurement policies as drivers for sustainable
and legal timber stimulate demand for certified product and are
welcomed:
Legislation (Lacey Act, Due Diligence Proposal EU)
Bilateral Agreements – FLEGT; MoU China & Indonesia, etc
Public Procurement Policies (CPET, TPAC, ICLEI, EU Ecoflower etc)
Green Buildings initiatives
Responsible Purchasing Policies & Codes of Conduct
Need to ensure they remain drivers and do not become barriers
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7. PEFC Standards Revision needs to
ensure that:
Meta standard requirements are flexible enough to be
applicable to all national processes,
Resulting national certification requirements are feasible,
realistic and cost-effective.
Both the Meta standard requirements and resulting national
certification standards and systems are robust enough to
provide confidence to deliver key market and stakeholder
expectations
Finding the right balance is the challenge
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8. Context of the PEFC Revision
Governance Review 2008
New Strategic Plan
General Review of Statutes and Documents
chain of custody and requirements for C-o-C Certification Bodies
requirements for standard setting, forest management standards and
regional/group certification,
requirements for FM CBs and PEFC endorsement process.
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9. Elements under Review
PEFC ST 1001:20xx: Standard setting – requirements
-- establishes governance requirements for national standards processes
PEFC ST 1002:20xx: Group forest certification – requirements
-- rules for group or regional certification
PEFC ST 1003:20xx: Sustainable Forest Management
Standards
-- requirements for national SFM standards
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10. Objectives
Incorporate latest knowledge
Respond to customer/community expectations
Respond to new challenges (global south)
Broaden stakeholder involvement
Streamline PEFC requirements and structures
Simplify PEFC documentation

11. Stages of the revision process (PEFC
GD 1003:2009)
Proposal stage: “Project” for development of new document or
revision of existing is approved by the BoD
Preparatory st.: A working group is set up and first draft or analytical
papers prepared by the project leader
WG stage: Working Group builds consensus on draft documents
Enquiry stage: A draft document is released for public consultation (2
months minimum), comments received are considered
by the WG
Formal approval: Final draft is adopted by the PEFC General Assembly
based on recommendation of the PEFC BoD.
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12. Timetable of the revision process
Timetable
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13. Working group stage
• Provides for balanced representation of stakeholders
• 5 meetings 2009-2010
• Established four (4) task forces (standard setting and group
certification; biodiversity; social issues; and plantation forestry and
GMOs)
• Organised two specialists workshop (social issues in Feb 2010
and biodiversity in March 2010),
• Prepared draft documents for public consultation

14. Public consultation stage
• Three documents published for public consultation
(mid April to the end of June 2010),
• Stakeholder Dialogues (Geneva in May 2010,
Malaysia in June 2010)
• Three webinars (1-3rd June 2010)

15. Next stages
• WG will consider all comments from public consultation and
will deliver to the PEFC BoD a final draft (September 2010),
• PEFC Board of Directors will consider the final draft and
recommends it to PEFC General Assembly for formal voting or
returns it back to the WG (October 2010),
• PEFC General Assembly will formally vote on the final drafts
documents
Participate in online consultation: www.pefc.org, click on Get
involved - Public consultations

16. Group Forest Management
Certification Requirements
(PEFC ST 1002:200x (ED 1.0)
Jaroslav Tymrak
PEFC Council Head of Technical Unit
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17. Main differences between “old” and proposed
new documentation
1. Cancels and replaces requirements for group and regional
certification as defined in Annex 3 of the Technical
Document
2. Provides one set of requirements for all multi-
site/group/regional approaches,
3. Removes duplication / overlaps in documentation and
provides clear definitions
4. Provides a concise and precise Meta standard
requirements for forest certification systems which allow
group forest management certification.
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18. Why do we need Group forest certification ?
1. It is normal practice in certification to audit every company
site covered by the certificate
2. Implications for forest owners:
1. Small forest owners could not afford the costs
2. Many forests would not be certified
3. Solution:
1. Group Certification based on sampling , making use of
existing information on forest management and
existing monitoring mechanisms.
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19. What does Group forest certification do ?
1. Allows forest owners to become certified under one
certificate and share
1. The financial obligations
2. Common responsibilities for forest management
2. Aims to improve information dissemination and co-
operation in forest management amongst forest owners
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20. Structure of Document
1. This document defines the requirements “inside the group”
including certain management structures between owners /
managers and/or the entity representing them. This in turn leads
to the correct implementation of sustainable forest management
and provides confidence in sampling
2. Requirements for “auditing” including sampling etc to be covered
in the document on requirements for certification bodies
3. Provides a meta standard as strong framework for development
of locally adapted and suitable solutions
4. Contains requirements which have to be followed to ensure a
clear approach and structure
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21. Basic approach
Group organisation (3.3)
Group entity
(Central office) (3.2)
Participant (3.6)
Participant (3.6)
Participant (3.6)
Participant (3.6)
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22. Basic Model
1. This model applies to all situations where more forest
owners are covered by one certificate
2. National terms can be applied provided each element is
identifiable in the structure of this standard.
3. Whole box defines group forest organisation which is
certified
4. Any non conformity in any of the participants applies to the
whole group organisation
5. Any sampling requires structure, rules and management
between the Group entity and the participants to ensure
robustness
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23. Functions and responsibilities of Group Entity
1. To represent the group forest organisation in certification
process
2. Provide commitment on behalf of organisation to comply
with SFM and other scheme requirements
3. Establish written procedures for management of group
4. Keep records including
a) All participants, contact details, id of properties and size
b) Conformity of participants with requirements
c) Certified area
d) Implementation of internal monitoring, its review and any
preventative / corrective actions taken
e) Written agreements on participants comitments and
obligations
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24. Functions and responsibilities of Group Entity
5. Provide “confirmation on participation“ in group forest
certification
6. Provide info and guidance for effective implementation of
SFM and other scheme requirements
7. Operate annual internal monitoring programme for
evaluation of participant’s conformity with requirements
8. Operate Review of conformity with SFM standard,
including results of internal monitoring, CB’s evaluations
and surveillance, corrective and preventative measure if
required and evaluation of effectiveness of CARs
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25. Functions and responsibilities of Participants
1. Contractual relationship with group entity on conformity
with SFM and other requirements
2. To comply with SFM standard and other requirements
3. Provide full co-operation and assistance to group entity or
CB requests for data etc
4. To implement corrective actions and preventative action
established by group entity.
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26. Questions and queries
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