A Forest Stewardship Standard for Estonia has arrived

The standard becomes effective on 1 January 2026

More than twenty-one years after the establishment of FSC Estonia, the country’s new Forest Stewardship Standard (FSS) marks the long-awaited finale to a 9-year process. Although the journey has been far from swift, it is a unique example of finding consensus across all three of FSC’s stakeholder chambers – economic, environmental, and social – in Estonia. The standard development group took 20 meetings, mostly during the more active period between 2016 and 2019, to reach an acceptable draft. And yes, many of the difficult discussions were held—and agreements reached—in a sauna—a tip to anyone planning their own process of participatory policy development.

Part of the delay was due to the standard development group's inability to reach consensus on only nine of the ten FSC principles of sustainable forestry. Principle three – indigenous people’s rights – formed the main stumbling block or ‘komistuskivi’, which in Estonian means the rock you stumble over. Most stakeholders in the social chamber want these rights to be recognized in the standard. In contrast, the economic chamber, which represents state- and privately-owned forests, insists that everyone in Estonia is indigenous. Hence, there are no indigenous people whose rights require specific protection. Hopefully, as stakeholders gain experience implementing the standard, disagreements can likely be resolved in any future revisions of the standard.

Half of Estonia is covered by forest, 60% of which is FSC certified. This gives the standard considerable influence, and given the many challenges currently facing Estonia’s forests, managers and the wider public will welcome the improved sustainability framework the standard brings. The FSS offers the forest owners of Estonia an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable forest management and thus respond to market demands for certified timber. In addition, upcoming changes in Estonia’s Environmental Conservation and Forest Law, such as setting aside up to 30% of forest for conservation, should increase the relevance of FSC requirements even more.

For FSC Estonia, the arrival of the standard means that 2025 and 2026 will be very busy years. A series of calibration meetings for forest managers and auditors has been launched to ensure aligned interpretation of standards and the best possible preparation for audits. There will also be workshops to give stakeholders from the environmental and social chambers a deeper understanding of the new standard and how best to use the FSC dispute management system effectively.

For any queries on the standard, please contact FSC Estonia via: standard@ee.fsc.org

The official (English) version of the FSS for Estonia can be consulted in the FSC Document Centre.

A translated (into Estonian) version will be available on FSC Estonia’s website in due course. Visit FSC Estonia’s newsroom for more related news.