FSC in Serbia

According to The National forest inventory of the Republic of Serbia, total forest area amounts to 2,6 million ha (M ha), out of which forests (high and coppice) make 2,3 M ha (i.e. 85%) while other wooded land covers the rest. 

1 M ha of various forest types in Serbia is FSC-certified, ensuring and demonstrating responsible forest management, according to the 10 FSC principles.

Forest ownership and management responsibilities in Serbia are equally distributed between the state (53%) and private forest owners (47%). 100% of the certified forest area in Serbia is state-owned and managed, and indeed, most of the state-owned forests are FSC-certified. 

There are two public forest management companies in charge of FSC-certified forests:

• Public company "Srbijašume"
• Public company "Vojvodinašume"

High conservation values (HCV) are biological, ecological, social or cultural values of outstanding significance found in forests. FSC requires that the forest managers maintain and/or enhance the HCVs in their forests through applying the precautionary approach. 

Serbia, with its rich natural and cultural heritage, represents one of important centres of biological and geological diversity in Europe, where almost all zonal types of climate, land and biomes of Europe alternate.

Some of many HCVs in the forests of Serbia include:

• protected landscapes (e.g. Avala) and habitats (e.g. Gljive Ade Ciganlije Myriostoma coliforme)
• seed stands containing local valuable gene pool
• strict nature reserve
• nature parks
• natural monuments
• regional natural parks
• hunting grounds and fisheries

There is over 250 companies from Serbia that are FSC-certified. This means that they source forest materials from the FSC-certified forests and other controlled sources, thus ensuring responsible forest management and use of forest materials.

More than half of the certified companies are processors (primary and secondary), while about a third primarily trade with FSC-certified materials and products.

Look for the FSC-certified companies from Serbia here.

Solid wood is a term often used to distinguish between ordinary lumber and engineered wood. While solid wood is the same all the way through, engineered wood products are manufactured by binding together wood strands, fibres, or veneers with adhesives to form a composite material. 

Considering a variety of forest-based materials, 4 out of 10 FSC-certified companies from Serbia process or sell solid wood (sawn, chipped, peeled), followed by  2 out of 10 FSC-certified companies processing or selling indoor furniture or rough wood.