The international organization Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) announced Friday in a press release that permanently withdraws the certification for the wood processed by Austrian group Schweighofer, following a petition signed by over 250,000 citizens that activists from three countries (Germany, Austria, and Romania) handed over to the FSC directors.
Following this decision, the illegally harvested wood from Romanian forests will not be certified anymore as sustainable and traded under the FSC trademark on the international markets. FSC considered that extending the probation status of Schweighofer is unacceptable given that the company does not comply with the sustainability standards.
„FSC will begin to build a permanent presence in Romania to effectively engage with its members and stakeholders to secure the right mechanisms, such as the establishment of a dedicated solutions forum, to identify long-term solutions to the challenges of responsible forest management in the country. It will engage in a constructive dialogue with the Schweighofer Group and all relevant stakeholders in the country,” said Kim Carstensen, FSC Director General.
In response, the Austrian company Holzindustrie Schweighofer stated in a press release issued Friday to Agerpres that will continue to carry out „roll out the action plan for sustainable timber processing in Romania” and will engage in a constructive dialogue with the Forest Stewardship Council to define a roadmap for re-association.
Holzindustrie Schweighofer opened the first sawmill in Romania in 2003, in Sebes. The company currently operates two more local sawmill – in Radauti and Reci, a glued solid wood panels plant in Siret and a panel plant in Comanesti.
The German DIY retailer Hornbach cancelled in January 2017 the contract with the Austrian company Holzindustrie for the sale of timber and planed wood.
Holzindustrie Schweighofer, the leader of timber export in Romania, has been the focus of a series of allegations in 2015, related to the way it operates in the country.
In July 2015, the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests notified the Prosecutor’s Office of the Supreme Court, following an inspection at Holzindustrie Schweighofer and some irregularities found, including the suspicion about the existence of several operators who supplied wood from illegal harvesting.
The Ministry’s investigation took place shortly after the company has been accused of pushing against the entry into force of the new Forest Code.
In addition, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), an NGO with offices in Washington DC and London, released in May 2015 a video recorded with a hidden camera proving that the Austrian company Schweighofer Holzindustrie, the largest wood processor in Romania (particularly conifers) is open to purchase illegally harvested wood.
Representatives of the company have been recorded while promising bonuses for exceeding the quantity of wood delivered, even though they knew that this would only be possible by breaking the law.
