Promoting closer-to-nature forestry in the EU through voluntary forest certification schemes : assessing the suitability and gaps of existing certification standards in implementing the EU closer-to-nature forest management guidelines

The EU Forest Strategy 2030 commits to develop a voluntary certification scheme for Closer-to-Nature Forest (CNF) management. To support this development, the European Commission published Guidelines on Closer-to-Nature Forest Management in July 2023, outlining key principles, objectives, and intervention tools for biodiversity-friendly forest management. This report assesses whether existing voluntary forest certification schemes (VFCS) could provide a pathway towards CNF-aligned certification, following a three-fold approach. First, it assesses the compatibility of existing certification schemes (FSC, PEFC, and Ekoskog) with the main objectives and intervention tools of the CNF guidelines. Second, it explores the potential for developing graded certification schemes for forest management. Third, it investigates potential criteria and methodologies for evaluating and scoring CNF practices.