P&C review
During a side event held on Monday, the status of the review process for the FSC global Principles and Criteria (P&C) was presented The P&C form the overall framework for all FSC forest management certification worldwide.
The review process was initiated already during the previous FSC General Assembly in 2005, when a motion to review the FSC Principle 10 on plantations was adopted. However, it isoon became clear that it is difficult to review any FSC principle in isolation from the others, and the review process was expanded to cover all FSC criteria.
A working group including members from all three chambers is being formed. The group will carry out three rounds of review and public consultation, and FSC expects to have the revised P&C ready for membership vote in November 2009.
Although the need for a review was not questioned, some concerns were expressed. The importance of the timeframe allowed for national initiatives and certifiers to update the existing standards was pointed out. Also, the potential exclusion of some aspects which might result in less auditable and more ambiguous P&C was raised.
