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• FOREST CERTIFICATION
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FOREST CERTIFICATION AND STANDARDIZATION

Forest certification is one of activity directions of Ministry of Forestry, it promotes to secure production and sustainability of stands, to increase forest biodiversity, to minimize negative impact of forest industry on environment, to increase export potential of forestry sector, to take down technical barriers in international trade.

2003 UE “Belgiproles” was accredited as Forest Certification agency. It trained 15 national forest certification experts-auditors.

According to information of 01.10.2007 28 forest enterprises have National Accordance Certificates for forest management and exploitation system, 232 Accordance Certificates for main kinds of forest production.

Within National System of Accordance of the Republic of Belarus more than 2,3 million ha of forest fund are certificated.

Another 28 forest enterprises with total area 2,426 million ha are now in process of certification estimation. Certification activities will be finished in the 4th quarter of 2007.

In republic there is actively developed international cooperation in forest certification sphere. Main task of international cooperation in the domain of forest certification is recognition of National Certificate and of Forest Certification Sign by world community as the guarantor of sustainable forest management and exploitation, what will promote competitiveness of forest production in the ecologically oriented markets.

In Belarus in 2005 Association of Forest Certification System was establishes, it counts more than 90 members.

2005 Belarus was affiliated with PEFC-Council. At present time PEFC-Council examines the documents to approve and recognize the National Forest Certification System as corresponding with Pan-European requirements.

Since 2004 in Republic of Belarus is realized certification of forest enterprises according to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) scheme, 27 forest enterprises in republic have International FSC-Certificates for forest management and exploitation systems, forest products supplying chains.

Standardization and technical regulation system of forestry is actively improved.

Branch fund counts more than 2 500 titles of documents, including 1 000 international standards, nearby 50 international, over 200 state, 36 technical specifications, 28 technical codex of common practice, over 50 management directives and others.

In VI ISO/TC 218 “TIMBER” plenary session Republic of Belarus was recognized as a full committee member. Belarus is the head of WG-2 “Round Timber”.

ISO/TC 218 “TIMBER”-membership enables forestry of Belarus to participate in international standards preparation, to improve standardization and technical regulation system, allows taking account of interests of republic in foreign markets, developing international cooperation.