NEPCon is now an FSC certifier
NEPCon is now an independent FSC certification body. This implies that NEPCon will no longer be providing FSC services on behalf of the Rainforest Alliance. However, the close collaboration between NEPCon and the Rainforest Alliance will continue.
On 29 October 2014, Accreditation Services International (ASI) accredited NEPCon for FSC Forest Management and Chain of Custody certification worldwide, except for China.
NEPCon may thus now call itself an FSC Certification Body (CB) and is entitled to issue FSC certificates. “I am very pleased that we have reached this important milestone in our long history of engagement with FSC”, says NEPCon Executive Director Peter Feilberg. “The process took time and extra work, but overall it went smoothly. And ASI’s review has helped us to further strengthen our certification procedures”.
The accreditation was based on a thorough review of NEPCon’s FSC system and auditing quality. This included office and witness audits.
Rainforest Alliance relations: A new twist to an epic journey
“The reason we haven’t sought CB status earlier lies in our fruitful collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance”, says Mr Feilberg. Since 1997, NEPCon has been providing our FSC services under the Rainforest Alliance’s FSC accreditation.
NEPCon chose to make the move as our FSC services have reached a scale where the old set-up was no longer justified.
“Working closely together with the Rainforest Alliance for so many years has been a real privilege. Our collaboration has played a pivotal role in NEPCon’s development. Our new status as an independent FSC certifier does not mark the end of our joint quest to fostering sustainability. We still work together in other spheres and will continue to explore new avenues of collaboration”.
“The Rainforest Alliance and NEPCon have worked together for nearly twenty years and it has been an incredibly rewarding collaboration. Together we have specialized in verification services and tools for companies to improve best practices and through that effort, we have successfully furthered responsible forest management and sourcing throughout Europe. FSC certification is considered the gold standard for responsible forest management worldwide and we congratulate NepCon on their new FSC accreditation,” says Tensie Whelan, Rainforest Alliance president.
NEPCon - a seasoned FSC service provider
NEPCon is the latest addition to the list of over 30 FSC accredited CBs. But despite our recent status as an FSC certifier, NEPCon is no newcomer to FSC certification.
“We have been in the game for many years as FSC service providers, working on behalf of the Rainforest Alliance in Europe and Russia. We currently service more than 1,300 certified timber supply chain companies. And our FSC forest clients manage over 20 million ha of forest land”, explains Mr Feilberg.
NEPCon is a member of FSC and an active participant in the FSC system. “Our engagement with FSC extends far beyond our FSC services, from projects to participation in global working groups. We haven’t missed a single FSC General Assembly since 1996”, recalls Mr Feilberg.
A new branch on the NEPCon tree
The accreditation was aligned with a major re-organisation of NEPCon where the certification activities are now performed under a separate legal entity, NEPCon OÜ. Located in Estonia, NEPCon OÜ is a limited company that is wholly owned by the non-profit organisation NEPCon.
The main NEPCon organisation – located in Denmark - will focus on activities such as information, capacity building, innovation and projects.
Mr Feilberg: “The NEPCon OÜ should be seen as a branch on the NEPCon tree. All our activities serve the same purpose of fostering sustainability, including our certification related work. The split reflects an existing division of activities, and it primarily serves to streamline our work flow. It enables us to improve our client service further whilst handling any conflicts of interest in a clear and transparent way”.
Smooth transition
NEPCon and the Rainforest Alliance are also working together to ensure a seamless transition process for NEPCon’s FSC clients.
“We expect to transfer these certificates to NEPCon over the coming months”, explains Mr Feilberg. “We have kept our FSC customers informed of the process and will now follow-up with more detailed information about the transition”.
Mr Feilberg: “We don’t expect our clients to be affected by this process except for a change in certificate registration code. Their FSC trademark license code stays the same, and there will be no changes to auditing schedules”.
Postscript 13 November 2014: First FSC certificate issued by NEPCon
On 13 November 2014, we issued our very first FSC certificate.
The certificate was issued to the forest operation Zaraku Silas KB, which is located in Lithuania. The certificate covers 499 ha of forest and includes a range of tree species.
Zaraku Silas KB is a new FSC certificate holder, whilst the transfer of NEPCon's existing over 1,300 FSC customers is still pending.
