The Białystok forest directorate (RDLP) of the Polish state forest business unit Lasy Państwowe is getting a fixed-term licence agreement for using the logo of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification system. This enables the RDLP Białystok to initiate the process for FSC certification of its forests and the chain-of-custody and commission corresponding audits.
The fixed-term licence agreement (FSC trademark license agreement – TLA) solution is an initial result reached by the workgroup formed after the meeting between representatives of the Polish environment ministry, Lasy Państwowe, and FSC International on 29 February 2024. RDLP Białystok is the first forest directorate that will return to FSC since the terminations by the majority of Polish state forest directorates in the period of 2021 to 2023. RDLP Białystok had returned the FSC certificate only issued in 2021 and originally applicable until August 2026 in July. RDLP Białystok manages 582,600 ha of forest, 572,804 ha of which were certified FSC compliant.
In addition to the solutions for the licence agreements, a timetable agreed at the meeting on 29 February also provides for the drafting of a new national FSC standard by the end of 2025.
