Timber and wood products must not be bound by stricter requirements than other raw materials and products groups, the Finnish Forest Industries Federation (FFIF) has said in response to a new EU report.
FFIF gave its response after an EU communciation published on July 16 gave guidelines for steering public procurement in a more ecologically sustainable direction. It highlights the need for monitoring and criteria to be observed in the procurement process.
FFIF said it was important for Finland to draft national guidelines emphasising the fair treatment of forestry industry products in public procurements to set an example for other European countries to follow.
It said the EU guidelines may restrict the use of certain products, even if they in principle meet proof of origin requirements.
“That is why flexible procedures for demonstrating the legality and sustainability of raw materials and products are needed,” it said.
“Certification is one way of verifying the lawful and sustainable origins of wood raw materials, but other reliable ways should be accepted in the guidelines as well.
“Nor should public procurement be bound only to specific certification schemes; instead, different certification systems should be treated equally.”
