"Unlimited mixing of FSC and PEFC?
Keurhout provides optimal freedom of action and a practical Chain of Custody"

 

 

 

 

Objection procedure_old

The certificate evaluation is executed by the independent Board of Experts (BoE).

Participants in the CoC of the relevant timber or any other party with an established interest in the relevant timber may raise an objection against BoE decisions. “Parties with an established interest” are: parties directly involved in a decision of the BoE; for corporate bodies also their general and collective objectives according to their goals represented in specific are accepted. Objections shall be filed with the secretariat of the BoE within 4 weeks of the date of publication of a decision and must be substantiated by objective verifiable information relevant to the specific admitted certificate or system and documented. The objecting party may ask for confidential access to all documents which are subject to the specific decision of the BoE. In case of unprecedented importance the BoE may decide to deny partly or full access to the requested documents. A deposit of € 2,000 shall be made by the party raising the objection in order to cover the costs of the objection procedure. The BoE will only discuss the objection after receipt of the deposit and will come to a judgement within 6 weeks. The BoE may reconsider its earlier judgement. In case the objection is considered justified, the deposit will be refunded and the earlier BoE decision will be annulled. In case the BoE declares the objection unfounded, the objecting party may start an appeal procedure with the independent Committee of Appeal. The final decision of the Committee of Appeal is binding. Details on the procedure to follow are given in the Annex X: “Keurhout Regulations for Board of Appeal” of the “Keurhout Participants Agreement”, available on request at the Netherlands Timber Trade Association secretary.

The Netherlands Timber Trade Association shall provide for this Appeals Board. The Appeals Board consists of independent experts. The chairman is a lawyer. The other members have an affinity with the subject itself and an affinity with the legal context. The members of the Appeals Board are independent and are sufficiently independent of any of the parties involved. The Appeals Board is authorized to take the decision to annul the BoE and to make binding judgements regarding the resolution of disputes.

NTTA is the owner of the Keurhout system. Against decisions by its board of directors or by the Keurhout Management Authority, e.g. concerning the adjustment of protocols, procedures or  the organization of the Keurhout system,  a similar objections and appeals procedure can be applied by any party with an established interest. Within a period of 4 weeks after the publication of a decision on the KH-website an objection shall be filed with the secretariat of the Keurhout Management Authority.
In case the objection is rejected, the party can start an appeals procedure with the secretariat of the Appeals Board within 6 weeks of the announcement of the rejection by the KH-MA.