Policy to promote public green procurement, increase similarities among procurement criteria of EU member states, and provide guidance and advice. Priority products include paper and furniture.

Geographical Areas of Interest

Global

Supply Chain Focus

Forest production

Processing/Manufacturing

Trade

Related CHapters

Contact Details

European Environment Agency

+45 33 36 7100 http://ec.europa.u/environment/gpp/index_en.htm

Traceability

Recognizes chain of custody certificates from FCS or PEFC. It also recognizes EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licenses from countries that have signed voluntary partnership agreements. For non-certified products, requires ability to trace through the supply chain to the origin.

Information Accuracy

Recognizes European Ecolabel, FSC and PEFC certificates as evidence of compliance and verification, as well as any other appropriate means of proof, such as a technical dossier issued by the manufacturer, or a test report from an independent body.

Legality

For paper, core criteria propose that all fiber must come from legally harvested sources; in addition, award criteria should allow to give preference to fiber coming from sustainably harvested sources. The comprehensive standards propose additional award criteria related to compliance with the full set of EU Ecolabel requirements.

SFM

Proposes award criteria that promotes products from forests that are sustainably managed for virgin fiber, solid wood and wood-based products for construction, according to PEOLG, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) Forest Principles, as well as international SFM Criteria and Indicators.

Pollution

Recycled paper should be at least elementary chlorine free. The comprehensive criteria for paper proposes applying the full set of criteria from the EU Ecolabel. Paper must be at least Elementary Chlorine Free; Totally Chlorine Free will also be accepted.

Fresh and Recycled Fiber

For paper, core criteria for paper proposes 100% recovered paper fibers. Comprehensive criteria proposes full compliance with the EU Ecolabel criteria or other Type I ecolabel criteria.