The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has decided to place the Schweighofer Group on probation for possible disassociation for involvement in irregularities and illegalities in its timber trade operations and in illegal logging by its Romanian forest land enterprise.
Under probation, the Schweighofer Group is required to meet a number of conditions prior to the next meeting of the FSC International Board of Directors to be held from 7th to 10th February 2017. If the group fails to do so, the board will then decide for disassociation.
FSC firmly believes that this decision is the most effective way to ensure that the Schweighofer Group engages in actions to fully address any involvement in irregularities and illegalities in its timber trade operations and in illegal logging by its Romanian forest enterprise.
The decision was based on a report by an independent complaints panel appointed in March 2016 that has conducted an in-depth investigation of the allegations against Schweighofer Group’s forestry related business operations in Romania and raised in a Policy for Association complaint by WWF Germany against the group.
As a result of the investigation, the complaints panel reported that there is ‘clear and convincing evidence ’ that the Schweighofer Group has been involved in significant irregularities and illegalities in its timber trade operations in Romania, and in the harvesting of timber from forest land that was purchased under a dubious legal framework. The investigation led the com-plaints panel to conclude that the Schweighofer Group has violated the Policy for Association by its ongoing involvement over an extended period of time in illegal logging and the trade of illegal timber.
“The FSC board has taken into account recent measures introduced by the Schweighofer Group to address the shortcomings found in its system, particularly related to its due diligence, but extensive improvement is still needed in many areas in order for the company to maintain association with FSC after the probation period,” says Kim Carstensen, FSC Director General.
