PEFC strengthens presence at European Union level

18 July 2014 News

In recognition of the significant role that the European Union (EU) is playing in advancing sustainable forest management, PEFC International has appointment Xavier Noyon as its Brussels-based EU Representative to contribute to and engage in processes impacting responsible forestry in the EU.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr. Ben Gunneberg, Secretary General of PEFC International said “PEFC is a global leader in the field of sustainable forest management issues and in order to meet the expectations of the hundreds of thousands of forest owners and companies that have obtained PEFC certification, it is important for PEFC to have a voice in the EU processes which are increasingly impacting on forestry and climate issues globally. Not only this, but the EU processes will also benefit from the expertise and knowledge that PEFC has accumulated over the past 15 years.”

In addition to the wide variety of policy processes and initiatives ongoing at the EU level, the EU is also a major consumer of wood and wood-based materials, and influences national public procurement policies through its actions. PEFC, a multi-stakeholder based non-governmental organization that unites national forest certification systems from 37 countries, is market leader in forest certification in the EU with more than 40% of forests in the region and more than a quarter of a billion hectares of forests worldwide certified to its globally recognized Sustainability Benchmarks. The organization is looking forward to engaging more intensively with Brussels-based stakeholders who share our objectives of advancing policy and action to achieve a world in which people manage forests sustainable

“It is exciting to join PEFC as its Head of EU Affairs at a time when a new European forestry strategy is being prepared, when European criteria for sustainable biomass are being elaborated, when sustainable forest management and certification becomes a must,” said Mr. Noyon.

“I am looking forward to working with EU actors on further advancing sustainable forest management and forest certification,” emphasized Mr. Noyon. “PEFC has a lot to contribute, and the feedback that we have been receiving so far concerning our increased engagement at EU level has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Xavier Noyon has been working in European Affairs for more than ten years for a variety of industries. In his latest function, he was Secretary General for the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation. He has a background in law and is fluent in French, English, German and Italian.