The PEFC Balkan Forest Certification Scheme was submitted to PEFC for endorsement earlier this month. The public consultation, which is your chance to give your feedback on this new system, will run from 4 August to 2 October. Our national members for Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Slovenia developed a harmonized framework for their national forest management standards to create this regional system for the Western Balkans. This is the second regional system submitted for endorsement. It follows the Congo Basin regional system, which is currently under assessment. By developing a regional system, it enables our members to maximise their impact and reach, share resources and knowledge, and reduce the costs in developing and running a forest certification system.

With an increase of more than 5.5 million hectares of PEFC-certified forest area over the past year, China has been recognized for the greatest increase in forest certification by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) during PEFC Forest Certification Week last week. PEFC Spain received the award for the highest increase in number of PEFC Chain of Custody certified companies.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is committed to maintaining the highest standard of responsible forest management, ensuring that all timber entering FSC-certified supply chains complies with legal and ethical requirements. We recognize the ongoing concerns surrounding illegal timber trade, particularly from sanctioned countries such as Russia, and the need for transparency in global supply chains. All certification systems carry inherent risks of misuse and illegal trade. The complexity of global supply chains - whether in timber, agriculture, or textiles - can expose them to risks such as false claims or illegal trade. Unfortunately, misconceptions regarding FSC certification and its processes continue to appear in some reports and public discussions, leading to misinterpretations of the system’s integrity. As such, it is important to take this opportunity to address these issues and provide a clearer understanding of the robust measures FSC has implemented to prevent illegal timber from entering certified supply chains.