Forest certification in Belarus

Sustainable management of forest resources is the main condition for the development of the country's forestry complex, improving the quality and competitiveness of forest products on the external market.

Forest certification is one of the activities of the Ministry of Forestry, which contributes to ensuring the productivity and sustainability of stands, increasing biological diversity in forests, minimizing the negative impact of forestry production on the environment, increasing the export potential of the forestry sector, and removing technical barriers to international trade.

Forest certification is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the international scheme of the FSC Forest council of trustees and within the framework of the Forest Certification System of the National System of Conformity of the Republic of Belarus recognized by Pan-European Forest Certification Council (PEFC).

In accordance with the requirements of the of the Forest council of trustees (FSC) scheme, as of January 1, 2017, 90 forest enterprises or 7,7 million hectares of forest fund (92,1% of all forest fund of the Ministry of Forestry) were certified.

According to PEFC scheme, systems of forest management and forest exploitation of 93 forest enterprises of the Ministry of Forestry are certified on an area of 7.9 million hectares of forest fund.

In 2017, it is necessary to continue work on conducting annual audits to confirm the implementation of certification requirements.

Conducting of forest certification within the framework of the Forest Certification System of the National System of Conformity of the Republic of Belarus

In 2010 the system of forest certification of the National System of Conformity of the Republic of Belarus was recognized by the Council of PEFC as corresponding to the requirements of the PEFC (Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes) - an international organization for the recognition of national systems and forest certification schemes.

Certificates of conformity for systems of forest management and forest exploitation issued within the framework of the Forest Certification System have international status.

When carrying out certification of systems of forest management and forest exploitation the compliance of quality of management of woods, forest exploitation and forest resources to the forest legislation, state standards of steady forest management, forest exploitation and other technical regulations, as well as to criteria and indicators regulating reproduction, conservation and protection of forests, preparation of wood and other resources to the established requirements is checked.

When carrying out certification of forest production and products of its processing on the basis of origin, their origin from the woods certified according to requirements of System of forest certification of National system of confirmation of compliance of Republic of Belarus is confirmed and that in the course of it (there) production identification of forest production and products of her processing on the basis of origin is adjusted.

Forest certification is carried out on a voluntary basis at the initiative of legal entities - applicants by signing of the contract between them and body for forest certification.

All works on certification of system of forest management and forest exploitation, forest production and products of her processing on the basis of origin are paid by the applicant.

The body for forest certification is the Design and Exploration Republican Unitary Enterprise "Belgiproles" (accredited by Gosstandart, certificate No. BY / 112 01.4.0.0001).

Legal address: Design and Exploration Republican Unitary Enterprise "Belgiproles,

Republic of Belarus, 220002, Minsk, V. Khoruzheva str., 41,

Director of the Unitary Enterprise "Belgiproles" - Radyukevich VV,

phone / fax 334-54-31, tel./fax 334-55-31,

Forest Certification Department:

Head of the Department Slobodnik Tatyana Zenonovna

Tel: 8 (017) 283-16-98, e-mail: standart@belgiproles.bystandart@belgiproles.by

Detailed information about forest certification at: www.belgiproles.by

Technical normative legal acts (TNLA), regulating the procedure of forest certification