Finland Sets Own Forest Certification System
10/8/98
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Title: Finland Sets Own Forest Certification System
Source: Reuters
Status: Copyrighted, contact source to reprint
Date: 10/8/98
HELSINKI - Finland on Wednesday finalised a forestry certification system
to compete with one defined by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and
supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), an industry statement
said.
Certification can be used to show that forestry products are made from
wood from environmentally soundly managed forests.
Finnish forest owners - who typically only own small areas - have been
unwilling to accept the FSC system since it would not be feasible to get
certificates for small lots, and industry has opposed environmentalists'
power in the FSC.
"The Finnish system, planned for the conditions of family-based forestry,
is the first of its kind in the world," the Federation of Finnish Forest
Industries said in the statement.
It said the new system would be ready for large-scale introduction early
next year and that the Finnish industry would like it to be accepted as
part of the FSC standard.
"The standard was developed to fulfil the 10 FSC priciples of good forest
management," it said.
The FSC certificate has been received by large Swedish forest owners,
where Finland's main rivals for the European market operate.
On top of its own system, Finland is also working with Germany, France,
Austria and Norway to create a pan-European forestry certification system,
aiming for conclusion this year.
(C) Reuters Limited 1998.