PEFC France, headed by Paul-Emmanuel Huet, targets all stakeholders in the forestry chain: forest owners as well as other links such as purchasing, processing, and reselling. 84,000 owners are committed to the program, a stable figure, in the context of an evolution towards a new PEFC standard, with an ongoing acculturation phase. This represents 5.8 million hectares in mainland France, plus an additional 2.4 million hectares in French Guiana. This equates to approximately one-third of mainland France's forests. In terms of volume, between 55% and 60% of production comes from these certified forests. On the business side, 3,400 sites are PEFC-certified, with a projected increase of 5% by 2025. The transition to the new sustainable forest management rules for owners is underway. This certification is reviewed every five years. The standard resulting from the latest revision is being rolled out, with a transition phase from April 2025 to September 2026. The forest management standard, which came into effect in April 2025, applies to 5.8 million hectares, through an educational, awareness-raising, and explanatory approach to strengthen its implementation. It comprises nine main requirements, and all obligations are available online via an immersive website that provides owners and managers with a sensory reference to the forest. "This system aims to make the requirements more accessible through a didactic approach that explains the reasons for these changes," explains Paul-Emmanuel Huet. Among these new requirements, the clear-cutting threshold has been strengthened, with lowering the limits. These range from two hectares in sloping areas or areas of landscape sensitivity to five hectares in other cases. However, exceptions are possible, subject to the completion of a diagnosis justifying an overrun.
For businesses, certification involves tracking wood flows from certified forests. The 3,400 beneficiary sites, a 5% increase by 2025, demonstrate significant momentum in a challenging global context. "Despite the certification process being well-established, with 26 years of existence, growth continues, reflecting sustained demand for eco-certified products across all sectors: energy wood, timber, and industrial wood." The EU Sustainable Forest Regulation (EUFR), scheduled for the end of 2026, will be integrated into PEFC requirements. A voluntary module has been developed to allow companies to incorporate these requirements and be audited by independent auditors. Another directive, applicable from September, concerns environmental claims (EmpCo). Businesses selling to consumers will no longer be able to make environmental claims unless they can substantiate them with evidence from independent third parties. PEFC certification meets these criteria.