FSC establishes roadmap for Danzer reassociation
9 April 2014The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is to enter into negotiations with the Danzer Group over final steps to be completed to end its disassociation with the company.
The FSC board's decision was based on a commissioned report by the Forest Peoples Programme (FPP), which identified that some outcomes on the ground had not occurred. FPP recommended immediate reassociation on condition that Danzer committed to additional demands.
However, the FSC decided reassociation had to be unconditional and has taken a more cautious approach. FSC and Danzer will develop a 'roadmap' which will detail the steps Danzer must take to complete its required corrective actions for reassociation.
Danzer's membership was suspended by FSC in May last year, effectively meaning it lost the right to supply FSC-certified timber from its own managed forests or others.
The FSC's decision followed an outbreak of violence between local people and authorities in Yaliska, a concession area of the Democratic Republic of Congo managed by former Danzer subsidiary Siforco, which was deemed to have failed in its conflict resolution obligations.
