The year that passed was associated with significant transformations in the management system of one of the largest forest users in Ukraine and Europe, the SFE “Forests of Ukraine”. The third stage of the forestry reform, aimed primarily at revising the organizational structure of the enterprise, potentially affects the obligations of its units that hold FSC certificates to comply with the FSC Forest Stewardship Standard for Ukraine (hereinafter referred to as the FSC standard for Ukraine). Accordingly, more than 400 responsible timber companies that use certified wood in their supply chains will be affected.
The process of reforming the organizational structure is accompanied by an ongoing discussion on:
· maintaining the capacity of the structural units of the SFE “Forests of Ukraine” to comply with the requirements of the FSC standard for Ukraine and ensure the continuity of supply chains;
· an acceptable certification model (individual, group, multiple) for which the FSC system, in accordance with normative requirements, has no restrictions on its choice or level of application (national, regional or local);
· planning of assessments of compliance with FSC standards by certification bodies, which determine the content and list of certification procedures depending on changes in the forest management system.
The request of the certification bodies to harmonize the model of individual certification of “ over-forestries” with the normative requirements of FSC returns to the issues of transformation of the management system of the SFE “Forests of Ukraine” and ensuring the balance of responsibility and resources of each of the structural units.
These issues are pushing the SFE “Forests of Ukraine” to take practical steps to enhance the role of the over-forestries as a management unit and potential FSC certificate holder capable of ensuring compliance with the FSC standard for Ukraine. With appropriate management support, the ability to address all forestry issues at the lowest organizational level can have positive environmental, social, and economic effects.
The above confirms the importance of integrating forest certification requirements into the decision-making system in the context of reforming and strategic development of the SFE “Forests of Ukraine”.
Reform processes, which take place against the backdrop of difficult wartime challenges, determine the forest industry's ability to support government priorities.
Active hostilities in some regions of the country and the temporary occupation of some of its territories exacerbate the need for special attention to the safety of people working or staying in forests, because:
· significant areas remain contaminated with explosive ordnance;
· FSC certificates have been suspended in the territories that have been liberated from occupation and where no proper survey and demining measures have been taken.
Amendments to the FSC standard for Ukraine have identified the possibility of excising areas contaminated by explosive ordnance from the scope of certification. Compliance with the requirements of this standard and appropriate adaptation of managerial and management decisions are aimed at protecting the health and life of all participants in the forest certification process under these conditions.
Special Annex J to the FSC standard for Ukraine defines specific requirements for planning, organizing, implementing and monitoring the activities of forestry enterprises, taking into account areas contaminated
with explosive ordnance, prohibiting direct management in these areas. For more information, see the link:
For potential certificate holders in the updated organizational structure of the SFE “Forests of Ukraine”, compliance with these requirements will demand significant adaptive capacity.
These and other issues of revising the organizational structure of the SFE “Forests of Ukraine” require an open dialogue with all stakeholders, as a transparent process. Good communication allows minimizing risks for certification processes, understanding the specifics of forestry reform and ensuring support from business, government agencies and civil society.
FSC Ukraine regularly organizes meetings between certification bodies and representatives of the SFE “Forests of Ukraine” to discuss complex issues of reorganization and possibilities of maintaining FSC certification.
Cooperation with FSC International, its network of partners, auditors and other stakeholders contributes to finding balanced and effective solutions to ensure responsible forest management in Ukraine.
FSC Ukraine will continue to support all initiatives that will contribute to the preservation of FSC certification in Ukraine by:
· providing a platform for joint discussions and consultations;
· carrying out additional communication with FSC International on the reorganization process;
· supporting cooperation with public authorities, business and the non-governmental sector to increase commitment to FSC values.
We are convinced that sustainable development of the Ukraine's forestry sector is possible through consistent steps towards transparency and responsibility, which is what FSC stands for as a leading international certification system. It is trust and partnership in times of challenge that are of particular importance to preserve forests for all forever.