WRITTEN QUESTION E-1011/96 by Johanna Maij-Weggen (PPE) to the Commission (26 April 1996)

Subject: Certification for sustainable timber production

1. Is the Commission aware of the activities with regard to sustainable timber production of the British certification institute SGS Forestry and the principles and criteria of the Forest Stewardship Council?

2. Is it aware of the extent of sustainable and certified timber production of the SWIFT producer association (Solomon Western Islands Fair Trade) and if so is it willing to support an expansion of this project?

3. What criteria does the Commission use when it writes about sustainable timber production, for example in the environment clauses in treaties and legislation and also with regard to the construction of its own buildings?

4. What recognized quality marks does the Commission operate and is it willing to investigate whether a single European quality mark can be operated in order to prevent consumer confusion?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (24 June 1996)

1. The Commission is aware of the Forest stewardship council (FSC) principles of forest management and the associated criteria. As published by FSC these principles relate to compliance with laws and FSC principles, to tenure and use rights and responsibilities, to indigenous people's rights, to community relations and workers' rights, to benefits from the forest, to environmental impact, to management plans, to monitoring and assessment, to maintenance of natural forests and to plantations.

The Commission is also in general aware of the activities of SGS forestry which is a certification body operating in the field of sustainable forest management certification, accredited by FSC. However, the Commission is not necessarily aware of each single operation of a private company.

2. The Commission is aware of the project of the Swift producer association which has received an environmental award in the Netherlands. The Commission is in a process of drawing up a contract of a Community-based tropical eco-timber project involving Swift-Icco.

3. At international level the concept of sustainable forest management has been basically defined in the 'Non-legally binding authoritative statement of principles for a global consensus on the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests' as adopted by the United Nations conference on environment and developemnt (UNCED). At the European level, the concept has been further detailed within Resolution n° H1 of the ministerial conference of the protection of forests in Europe (Helsinki 1993). This resolution was signed by the Community and its Member States. Within the follow-up process to the Helsinki conference, a number of criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management were adopted in 1994 at pan-European level. These criteria and indicators however only apply to the national level, i.e. not at the management unit level. The possibilities for the development of sub-national criteria and indicators are currently being considered in the same context. The Commission is also aware of several other international and national, private and public, initiatives and activities related to sustainable forest management, among others the FSC activities, the activities in connection with the technical committee 207 of the International standardisation organisation (ISO), the International tropical timber agreement, the Nordic forest certification project, the Canadian standard association (CSA) standards and various emerging sustainable forest management (SFM) certification schemes.

As regards adopted Community legislation, reference has been made to the UNCED statement on forest principles and Resolution H1 of the ministerial conference on the protection of forests in Europe in the context of the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 880/92 on a Community eco-label award scheme ((OJ L 99, 11.4.1992 )) (Commission Decision No 94/924/CE and 94/925/CE of 14 November 1994 establishing the ecological criteria for the award of the Community eco-label to toilet paper and kitchen rolls ((OJ L 364, 31.12.1994. ))), and to the standards of the International tropical timber organisation (ITTO) in Article 8 of the Council Regulation (EC) No 3281/94 of 19 December 1994 applying a four-year scheme of generalized preferences (1995 to 1998) in respect of certain industrial products originating in developing countries ((OJ L 348, 31.12.1994. )).

The Commission usually rents the buildings it uses. Environmental clauses with regard to subtainable timber production are not used in the leases or construction contracts.

4. The Commission does not operate any quality mark as regards sustainable timber production and sustainable forest management. The Commission has recognized the emergence of various SFM certification and timber labelling initiatives and is aware that the proliferation of schemes may cause confusion among consumers. The Commission is discussing with the Member States the policy options including the possibility of a Community scheme with regard to SFM and timber certification.

The issue of voluntary certification of forests is also currently being discussed, at international level, by the Intergovernmental panel on forests established by the Commission on sustainable development. In addition to the discussions taking place in the sessions of the panel there are intersessional activities, organized by certain governments, in relation to the work of the panel. In particular, these include the International conference on certification and labelling of products from sustainably managed forests in Brisbane on 26-30 May 1996 and the expert working group meeting on trade, labelling of forest products and certification of sustainable forest management in Bonn on 12-16 August 1996.