North Macedonia Expands PEFC-Certified Forests to Strengthen Market Access

North Macedonia has expanded PEFC forest certification, with 106,000 hectares of state-owned forests now certified across 23 forest management units (FMUs). The certification follows the implementation of the PEFC MK 03:2020 National Standard for Sustainable Forest Management, supporting responsible forest management and improving access for Macedonian wood products to European and global markets.

Forests and biodiversity in North Macedonia

Forests in North Macedonia occupy about 40% of the country’s land area and are characterised by huge diversity, starting from sub-Mediterranean forest types in the south of the country, to the continental and sub-Alpine forest further north. The dendroflora of North Macedonia consists of 319 species of trees and shrubs with more than 80 subspecies and varieties in 119 genera and 54 families. 16% of the total number of species are Balkan endemics or sub-endemics.

Approximately 88% of the forests are state-owned, with those for commercial purposes managed by PE National Forests. Recent Government decisions to declare new protected areas – including over 100,000 hectares of forest – have contributed to more than 25% of forests now being managed according to higher management criteria as set out in the ‘Law on Nature Protection’.

PEFC Certification in practice

The impact of PEFC on the forested areas began in 2024, with the application of PEFC MK 03:2020 – the National Standard for Sustainable Forest Management in North Macedonia – in some of the commercial forests, which was endorsed by the PEFC Council in 2022. After introducing an extensive training program for PE National Forests staff, certification was awarded to 106,000 hectares, distributed across 23 forest management units (FMU).

This process helped contribute to the strategic aims of the forestry sector with the certification of 300,000 hectares of state-owned forests, but also provides a guarantee that the rich forest resources are managed responsibly and importantly provide easier access for Macedonian wood products to the EU market and beyond. European beech is the key species within the North Macedonian wood processing sector and provides a wide range of products including many furniture items.  

Supporting market access

With a process of increasing PEFC certification across the country, the ability to supply 100% PEFC-certified material, means that more producers of timber products created from domestic wood species will be now able to enter European and global markets.