This is PEFC Contractor Certification

Any forestry contractor that is hired by a PEFC-certified forest owner, wood procurement organization or contractor in Sweden, shall be in possession of a PEFC contractor certificate or proof of group certification.

The reason for this requirement within the Swedish PEFC-certification system is that a large part of forestry operations in Swedish forests are carried out by contractors and not by forest owners themselves. Contractors therefore play a key role in sustainable forest management and contractor certification helps PEFC-certified forest owners to meet the requirements of the Swedish PEFC Forest Standard. 

PEFC’s requirements on contractors

PEFC-certified forestry contractors are responsible for complying with Swedish legislation and the requirements of the PEFC Sweden Forestry Contractor Standard.

The PEFC requirements include, for example, that the contractor shall:

• Have adequate qualifications for the task
• Meet the applicable requirements of the Swedish PEFC Forest Standard, regarding for example company- and employer responsibilities and continuous skills development
• Meet environmental requirements regarding for example usage of environmentally approved oils and handling of dangerous goods and hazardous waste
• Make sure that any sub-contractors also meet PEFC’s requirements

Contractor certification in group – this is how it works

PEFC contractor certification is carried out either as direct certification of larger forestry contractor companies or as group certification of smaller contractor companies through an umbrella organization. Group certification is the most common. The steps towards obtaining a proof of group certification are briefly described below:

1. Application and audit

In order to obtain information on how to apply for Swedish PEFC contractor certification in group and the costs associated with it, please contact any of the umbrella organizations listed at the bottom of the page, with links to their respective websites for contact information.

All umbrella organizations follow the same PEFC-standard, but they may have differing routines for the practical handling of applications. In broad terms though, the procedure is that the umbrella examines the application and make sure that the contractor is informed about PEFC’s requirements for contractor certification. In some cases, a pre-audit of the business in question is made. 

2. Agreement and proof of group certification

If the application is correct and PEFC’s requirements are met, an agreement is concluded between the contractor and the umbrella organization about affiliation to the umbrella organization’s group certificate. A proof of certification is then issued to the contractor. 

3. After affiliation – regular internal audits and self-assessment by the contractor 

Once the contractor has been affiliated to the group certificate, the umbrella organization controls, through internal audits on a regular basis, that PEFC’s requirements are observed by the contractor. The contractor shall also, by means of self-assessment, report regularly to the umbrella organization. The umbrella organization in is in turn controlled through regular third-party external audits.

Umbrella organizations for contractor certification

	EC skog offers group certification of forestry contractors according to the PEFC-standard. Website: https://ecskog.se/
	Skogscertifiering Prosilva AB offers both group certification for forest owners (FSC and PEFC) and forestry contractors (PEFC). Website: https://skogscertifiering.se/
	SE Certifiering AB offers group certification of forestry contractors according to the PEFC-standard. Website: https://www.secertifiering.se/