Today, on 21 March, we celebrate with our stakeholder PEFC International Day of Forests and the role of accreditation to protect forests and support the implementation of sustainable forest management worldwide. 

What is PEFC?
PEFC is an international non-profit organization, promoting sustainable forest management through certification. We help to look after forests, support people’s livelihoods, and foster sustainability in the marketplace.

What’s the role of accreditation?
Accreditation is one of the three pillars for the implementation of PEFC certification. Through consensus, PEFC sets the standards, the requirements that forest and business owners must follow to ensure sustainability. Certification bodies check and certify that forest and business owners comply with these requirements. And national accreditation bodies, like EA members, evaluate the certification bodies to ensure they have the competencies required to do the job. Accreditation is vital to the independence and impartiality of PEFC certification.

And your collaboration with EA?
As a regional group of national accreditation bodies, EA ensures harmonized and consistent accreditation in the forestry sector. Therefore, EA has a key role in supporting the implementation of sustainable forest management worldwide. PEFC and EA are vital partners, as we work together to ensure our forests are protected for generations to come.