25 March 2012
Next Steps In The FSC Principles and Criteria Review Process

The revised FSC Principles and Criteria (P&C) have been approved by the FSC Membership. Now, there are several steps to be taken in order to operationalize the P&C as the new FSC Forest Stewardship Standard that can be used around the globe for the certification of responsible forest management.

In summary, these steps include:

• Publication of the approved revised Principles and Criteria;
• Development of International Generic Indicators (IGI);
• Transfer of National Forest Stewardship Standards;
• Development of a Generic Standard for Certification Bodies.

The revised Principles and Criteria will be published in April to the FSC website. During the next steps of the P&C review process, we will transform this website to be a central information source for those interested and participating in the next phases of development.

Stay informed on all developments through the FSC Technical Updates newsletter.

Please find a detailed overview on the next steps of the P&C review in pdf below.

• Next steps to update 25 March 2012
  PDF (187,95 KB)

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10 February 2012
FSC Membership approves the Revised Principles & Criteria

FSC is pleased to announce that the revised Principles & Criteria (P&C) have been approved by the FSC Membership. Confirmed through strong voter turn-out – at around 70% in all chambers - the positive result reflects the engagement and commitment of stakeholders worldwide over a three year participatory process.

Results of the FSC Principles & Criteria vote

	Yes	No
Economic Chamber	78.003%	21.997%
Environmental Chamber	61.652%	38.348%
Social Chamber	86.605%	13.395%
Overall	75.420%	24.580%

As the first major revision in the history of the Principles and Criteria, the new P&C brings FSC practices current with the policies, clarifications, and lessons learned since its inception in 1993. The subsequent addition of the Explanatory Notes and future Generic Indicators will bring greater clarity to this key document and enable more effective implementation in the field.

The positive vote milestone marks the beginning of an important next phase in FSC’s work. With revisions agreed, FSC can now engage stakeholders in the development of baseline requirements (the "Generic Indicators") for each of the Criteria. This work will begin immediately through outreach to members on the key issues to be considered in the drafting of the Generic Indicators.

However, FSC is mindful of the concerns raised by members during the review and revision of the P&C and committed to addressing them in this next phase, as well as in subsequent policy-level discussions. Additionally, we will reach out to our members to capture the lessons we’ve acquired from this unprecedented process.

As this next phase unfolds, FSC will work to align the development of regional and national FSC Forest Stewardship Standards with the new Principles and Criteria. Support and guidance will be provided to all stakeholders, including Certification Bodies and forest organizations, to ensure that the transition to the new P&C is as smooth as possible. We look forward to using this new framework as the central tool for collaboration with our members and stakeholders to fulfill FSC’s mission.

We are deeply grateful to the dedicated individuals that made this advancement possible, including the Principles & Criteria Working Group, the FSC Membership and the staff involved. Their high level of engagement in this important process has enabled FSC to move forward with renewed confidence in our practices and principles. We look forward to the measurable success that this landmark decision will now bring to the FSC system.

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The FSC membership is our highest decision-making body, and this outcome reflects a process that was inclusionary, fair, and transparent. Whatever the outcome of the vote, FSC will continue to work with all of our members to ensure that the Principles & Criteria demonstrate a commitment to forest management that balances social, environmental, and economic interests to achieve the best possible solutions for forests and people worldwide.

Completing the process of legal verification may take time so please be patient. As soon as we complete the legal due process we will send all members an update via email. The results will also be posted to vote.fsc.org and fsc.org.

We are deeply appreciative of the high level of engagement in this process. This shows a membership that is passionate about and committed to the FSC system.

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To help you find everything, we’ve divided this website in to three areas:

The Vote

Here you will find all the background information regarding the Principles Criteria, why they were revised, how that process works, and why your vote is now needed. You will also find further general information, such as contacts, additional background material etc.

Key Issues

You will also find the full, revised Principles and Criteria to be voted on, and its accompanying documents. All available for download. Also, all information on how to register and cast your vote. More detailed information on specific issues can be found under "Key Issues".

Guide

We’ve also created a "Guide to the Revised Principles and Criteria", to take you through the main changes. This is intended to help those less familiar with the detail and what it means.

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Revised P&C in other languages

The Revised P&C will be made available in various languages and will be posted here for download.

Disclaimer: These are unofficial translations, should there be any questions concerning the wording, please consult the English version.

• French - Revised Principles and Criteria
  PDF (394,74 KB)

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Download the P&C webinar

• The P&C webinar - PDF format
  PDF (37,37 MB)
• The P&C webinar - PowerPoint presentation
  PPT (29,88 MB)