The Netherlands: endorsement of PEFC reconfirmed … Prompted by complaints filed by several NGOs, the Dutch Timber Procurement Assessment Committee (TPAC) has re-assessed the PEFC international …

Increased flexibility for using reclaimed materials in FSC products … FSC has released a new version of its standard “Sourcing reclaimed material for use in FSC Product Groups or FSC Certified Projects” (FSC-STD-40-007 …

New tool helps importers transition to new EU timber law … NEPCon and the Rainforest Alliance are launching a new tool today that will aid companies importing timber into the EU to identify and manage weakness in their supply chains. Importers urgently …

Graphic industries embrace forest certification for comeback … Historically, the paper and print industry has been an important driver of forest certification worldwide. Now this role is set to grow even stronger. Forestry certification schemes play a …

McDonald's gives preference to FSC for packaging … Sandwish wraps, fry boxes, takeout bags and trayliners. …

Carbon investors turn to forestry … At an Environmental Finance conference this month, financers signalled strong interest to invest in forest carbon …

Maersk Line launches responsible container flooring … One of the world’s biggest sea carriers, Maersk Line, has announced an ambitious procurement policy for container floorboards. The aim is to ensure that any wood in the container flooring derives from …

Indonesia and Liberia sign deals with EU to cut illegal timber trade … On the 4th and 9th of May respectively, Indonesia and Liberia signed Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) with the EU, pledging to halt illegal timber harvesting in their …

Pilot tests bring contractor certification closer to reality in Spain … Contractor certification is looking promising in Spain, and is likely to boost FSC certification among small and medium sized …

Australian timber act under way … The Australian government has released an "Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill 2011" for public consultation. The proposed Act bans illegal timber products from entering the Australian market and importers of illegal wood …

Will the EU Timber Regulation be effective? … Tim Grabiel from the organisation of activist lawyers ClientEarth puts the EU Timber Regulation on trial: will it effectively exclude illegal timber from the EU marketplace? The answer rests in the detail …

… Switzerland and more recently the UK to have a national FSC-endorsed Controlled Wood risk assessment in place, providing guidance for buyers of FSC Controlled Wood. …

… Greenpeace: FSC needs to work harder … Rapid expansion of the FSC system combined with long-standing issues affecting the … credibility. That is a cocktail which stakeholders of the FSC system are increasingly unwilling to swallow. Greenpeace …

Risk assessment for the UK … Companies manufacturing FSC Mixed Sources products will now find it less burdensome to control their non-certified timber when sourcing from UK …

Help us report directly from the next FSC General Assembly … NEPCon is the first organization to report comprehensively on an FSC General Assembly, and is looking to continue this initiative at the upcoming event in June.  …

Large concessions in Africa embark on legality verification … Three concessions held by the company SODEFOR in the DR Congo have successfully gone through Verification of Legal Origin (VLO) assessments carried out by the Rainforest Alliance. The …

Chatham House meeting: EU illlegal timber law requires urgent action … What steps can European companies take to keep up to speed with the new EU timber legislation? And do they have enough time? At Chatham House last week, the European Commission shed …

Facts and fiction in Al-Jazeera's "Latvia's Pulp Fiction" … Does FSC allow logging practices that lead to widespread deforestation and threaten unique natural values? This is the core message of a TV program entitled "Latvia's Pulp Fiction" produced by …

FSC an asset for timberland investment in Canada … An investor brief published in January 2011 makes a strong case for investing in FSC-certified forests in Canada. It reveals that FSC is superior to competing systems in terms of mitigating risks and …

Transitory FSC requirements: register for extended deadline … Companies operating under the FSC transitory requirements for FSC labeling of chip/fiber products or using uncontrolled co-product inputs in their FSC products, should be aware of the nearing …