Stora Enso Wood Supply Finland took concrete steps during 2004 to promote the mutual acceptance of forest certification systems by starting to test FSC in Finland. Any eventual double certification will not increase the already high share of certified forest area in Finland.

The FSC test is being carried out in the form of group certification covering the holdings of three forest owners in Southern Finland. Trials are based on the Finnish FSC standard, which is being developed by the Finnish FSC working group. The aim is to gain more knowledge of the FSC group certification system, to assess the forest owners' position, and to test the market reaction. Related training for Stora Enso’s own personnel, the forest authorities and interested forest owners was started in 2004.

The first results of the pilot project are expected to be available in spring 2005, and should give a useful indication of the effectiveness, costs and suitability of the FSC certification system in Finland. The results of the pilot project will be used in proposals for improvements to the FSC standard and group certification model. Developing cost-efficient group certification is very important for countries like Finland where there are many small-scale forest holdings and forest owners.

In spring 2004, Wood Supply Finland conducted a forest certification study and FSC desk audit in the Upper Lapland region of northern Finnish Lapland. The FSC desk audit was conducted by the Swedish forest certification company Svensk SkogsCertifiering in forests owned by the Finnish State and managed by the state enterprise Metsähallitus. The data from Upper Lapland was audited against International FSC Principles, with reference to the Swedish FSC standard and the Finnish FSC draft standard.

The study showed that to meet FSC criteria only minor changes would be needed in forestry management in Upper Lapland. The necessary changes concern issues including the number of retention trees to be left in harvesting areas, and social reporting.