FSC ANNUAL ADMINISTRATION FEE POLICY Title: ANNUAL ADMINISTRATION FEE POLICY (AAF) 2011 FSC reference cde: FSC-POL-20-005 V1-0 Type f dcument: FSC Plicy Status f dcument: Final Date: 26 July 2010 Deadline fr cmments: N/A Bdy respnsible fr drafting: FSC Cntact persn: Andre de Freitas Cntact email: a.freitas@fsc.rg Apprval bdy: FSC Directr General Published by Frest Stewardship Cuncil, A.C. Any reprductin in full r in part f this publicatin must mentin the title and reference cde and credit the abve-mentined publisher as the cpyright wner. 1 f 8 Frest Stewardship Cuncil A.C. Calle Margarita Maza de Juárez 422 Clnia Centr Oaxaca CP 68000 Mexic T +52 951 502 6533 F +52 951 502 6594 fsc@fsc.rg www.fsc.rg Directr General: Andre de Freitas Public Registry f Prperty and Cmmerce: Oaxaca Mexic, Registratin N. 38602 FSC, A.C. All rights reserved.
1. Intrductin The AAF is an annual fee charged by FSC t accredited certificatin bdies, calculated n a per certificate basis. The purpse f the AAF is t supprt the cre peratins f the FSC system 1, bth at the natinal and internatinal level, including amng thers: FSC s multi-stakehlder gvernance mechanisms Develpment f plicy and standards related t FSC certificatin Marketing and market develpment activities Trademark prtectin Cmmunicatin and disseminatin f infrmatin Certificatin bdies have jintly agreed t cmmunicate the AAF t their clients cnsistently with an explicit statement n their invices. 2 The FSC AAF has been develped t be cnsistent with FSC glbal strategies, plicies and pririties and will be reviewed annually and, if necessary, revised t remain cnsistent with any new FSC strategy and/r plicy r accunt fr inflatin. 2. Annual Administratin Fee fr Frest Management (FM), Frest Management / Chain f Custdy (FM/COC) and Cntrlled Wd (CW) Calculatin f the AAF fr the FM, FM/COC and CW prtfli f FSC accredited certificatin bdies utilizes 7 different categries reflecting frest type 3, management bjectives, prductivity and scale. A fixed rate f US $ 10 is generated by each Certificate and an additinal per hectare fee is calculated n tp f the fixed rate (see Table 1). Different per hectare rates are used fr the different frest management categries. Table 1 FM, FM/COC and CW Annual Administratin Fee Categries f Frest Management Per Hectare Rate (US $) SLIMF 4 0.0001 Natural Frest - Cnservatin purpses 0.0001 Natural Frest - Cmmunity Frestry 0.0010 Natural Frest - Trpical 0.0020 Natural Frest - Breal 0.0030 1 As a nn-prfit rganizatin, FSC reinvests in its activities the psitive financial results it may achieve in a fiscal year. 2 FSC Certificatin Bdies meeting, 28 January 2004, Bnn, Germany. 3 The relevant frest management categry fr each certified frest peratin needs t be determined and each certificate needs t be classified int ne f these categries, by the certificatin bdies. See sectin 5 belw fr mre infrmatin n definitins. 4 SLIMF type peratins shall always use the per hectare rate fr SLIMFs, independent f their frest type. 2 f 8
Natural Frest - Temperate 0.0040 Plantatins 0.0100 Where primary r secndary prcessing facilities are included in the scpe f an FM / COC r CW certificate an additinal AAF fr the prcessing facilities shall be calculated accrding t the COC fee structure related t prcessing enterprises, see sectin 3.1 belw. Fr the calculatin f the AAF, certificatin bdies can cnsider cnservatin frest areas that are part f larger frest management units, in the categry f Natural Frests - cnservatin purpses 5. The prductive areas f such frest management units under ecnmic and/r cmmercial use will be included in the relevant frest type AAF categry. Grup frest management certificates will be charged like all ther certificates, with a US $ 10.00 fixed rate and an additinal per hectare fee based n the sum f individual AAF calculated fr each grup member accrding t its crrespnding categry. 3. Annual Administratin Fee fr Chain f Custdy (COC) Calculatin f the AAF fr COC certificates has been develped using 8 different categries, and it is based n the annual turnver f frest prducts and prducts cntaining wd r fiber cmpnents, f each certificate hlder. Fr the purpses f this plicy, the annual turnver refers t the mst recently cmpleted fiscal year. This is expected t be updated n an annual basis during the annual audit f the certificate hlder. 3.1 COC fee structure related t prcessing enterprises 3.1.1 Fr single COC certificates a fixed fee will be calculated fr each categry (see table 2) based n the aggregate annual turnver f the sites included in the scpe f the certificate. Table 2 COC Annual Administratin Fee (US $) fr single CC certificates Classificatin f certificate hlders by Fixed Rate annual turnver Class 1 50 < US $ 200,000 Class 2 200 US $ 200,001 t US $ 1,000,000 Class 3 400 US $ 1,000,001 t US $ 5,000,000 Class 4 800 US $ 5,000,001 t US $25,000,000 Class 5 1,400 3 f 8
US $ 25,000,001 t US $ 100,000,000 Class 6 US $ 100,000,001 t US $ 500,000,000 Class 7 US $ 500,000,001 t US $ 1,000,000,000 Class 8 > US $ 1,000,000,001 3,000 5,000 7,500 3.1.2 Fr multi-site COC certificates a fixed fee will be calculated fr each categry (see Table 3), based n the aggregate annual turnver f the sites included in the scpe f the certificate. Table 3 COC Annual Administratin Fee (US $) fr multi-site CC certificates Classificatin f certificate hlders by annual turnver Class 1 < US $ 200,000 Class 2 US $ 200,001 t US $ 1,000,000 Class 3 US $ 1,000,001 t US $ 5,000,000 Class 4 US $ 5,000,001 t US $25,000,000 Class 5 US $ 25,000,001 t US $ 100,000,000 Class 6 US $ 100,000,001 t US $ 500,000,000 Class 7 US $ 500,000,001 t US $ 1,000,000,000 Class 8 > US $ 1,000,000,001 Fixed Rate 50 200 400 800 1,400 3,500 7,500 15,000 Fr example, a multi-site COC certificate with 3 individual sites: Site A, turnver 6 millin US$; Site B, turnver 3 millin US$; Site C, turnver 20 millin US$; Overall turnver= 29 Millin, (AAF = US$ 1,400). Overall AAF calculatin = US$ 1,400 3.1.3 The AAF fr grup COC certificates will be calculated as fllws: A fixed fee f US$ 10 per grup COC member, plus An verall fee crrespnding t the aggregate annual turnver f members, as calculated fr single COC certificates (Table 2). Fr example, a COC grup scheme with 25 members and an aggregate turnver f US$ 20 millin wuld fall in COC categry 4, with a crrespnding fee f US$ 800, plus 25 x US$ 10= US$ 250, resulting in a ttal fee f US$ 1,050. 4 f 8
3.2 AAF fr Traders The AAF fr Traders takes int accunt that this categry f enterprises can have a high turnver in relatin t their prfit margin. Only peratins that d nt cnduct any changes t the traded prducts, either directly r thrugh utsurcing, are eligible fr this categry. Table 4 presents the AAF categries fr Traders. Table 4 COC Annual Administratin Fee fr Traders Classificatin f certificate hlders by annual turnver Class 1 < US $ 200,000 Class 2 US $ 200,001 t US $ 1,000,000 Class 3 US $ 1,000,001 t US $ 5,000,000 Class 4 US $ 5,000,001 t US$ 25,000,000 Class 5 US $ 25,000,001 t US $ 100,000,000 Class 6 US $ 100,000,001 t US $ 500,000,000 Class 7 US $ 500,000,001 t US $ 1,000,000,000 Class 8 > US $ 1,000,000,001 Fixed Rate 20 75 150 300 500 750 1,500 3,000 3.3 AAF fr Prject Certificatin The AAF related t prject certificatin fllws the same fee scheduled as the AAF fr Traders (Table 4), with verall cst f the prject being cnsidered instead f annual turnver f frest prducts. The AAF fr prject certificates is due nly nce, in the quarter fllwing the issuance f the certificate. 4. Management f the AAF 4.1 The certificatin bdy is respnsible fr prviding the FSC with the infrmatin related t their certificates and the assciated AAF class and shall fill-in the apprpriate fields in the FSC certificate database. 4.2 The AAF will be calculated autmatically frm the FSC database using the infrmatin prvided by certificatin bdies. The lack f infrmatin regarding the AAF class fr a certificate hlder will result in the highest AAF class being assigned t it. 5 f 8
4.9 Transferred certificates When a certificate is transferred t a new certificatin bdy, then the new certificatin bdy taking ver the FSC certificate will be respnsible fr the crrespnding AAF. 5. Definitins Cmmunity Frestry Cmmunity Frestry (Definitin adapted frm FAO, 1997): A Cmmunity Frestry is a Frest Management Unit where the management and use f frest and tree resurces is cntrlled by lcal cmmunities. Natural Frests fr Cnservatin Purpses Frest Management Units that have as management bjective the cnservatin f natural frests, with clear cnservatin, and n cmmercial, bjectives. Applicability nte: This categry can als be used fr the calculatin f the AAF in the case f frest areas within Frest Management Units that include bth prductive and als cnservatin areas, prvided that these areas are excluded frm cmmercial harvesting activities in the current frest management plan and als in the lng term planning f the certified peratin. Plantatins (FSC Principles and Criteria Definitin) Frest areas lacking mst f the principal characteristics and key elements f native ecsystems as defined by FSC-apprved natinal and reginal standards f frest stewardship, which result frm the human activities f either planting, swing r intensive silvicultural treatments. Applicability nte: This categry remains the same as the current FSC Plantatin definitin. SLIMF A frest management unit shall qualify as a 'SLIMF' if it is either a 'small' frest management unit (as defined in FSC-STD-01-003 SLIMF Eligibility Criteria) OR managed as a 'lw intensity' frest management unit (as defined in FSC-STD-01-003 SLIMF Eligibility Criteria). Suspensin The temprary remval by certificatin bdy administrative actin f a certificate hlder's certificatin pending either crrective actin by the certificate hlder r frmal withdrawal f certificatin by the certificatin bdy. Terminatin Vluntary cancellatin f the certificatin cntract by either certificatin bdy r certificate hlder accrding t cntractual arrangements. 7 f 8
Traders A persn r legal entity that buys and sells timber and/r ther timber and nn timber frest prducts and wh takes legal and/r physical pssessin f the gds (6). Traders d nt cnduct any changes t these prducts, either directly r thrugh utsurcing. Trpical, temperate, breal frests The definitin f these frest types fllws the categries defined by the Hldridge Life Znes data set 7. Turnver Ttal revenue f an rganizatin derived frm the prvisin f gds and services, less trade discunts, VAT, and any ther taxes based n this revenue. (Dictinary f Business, Oxfrd University Press, 1996). In the cntext f the Annual Administratin Fee, turnver refers t frest prducts (e.g. sawn timber, particle bards, paper, nn timber frest prducts) and prducts cntaining wd r fiber cmpnents. It des nt refer t ther 100% nn-wd (nn-fiber) prducts cmpanies might prduce. The annual turnver refers t the mst recently cmpleted fiscal year. Withdrawal The remval by the certificatin bdy f a certificate hlder s certificatin. 6 Accrding t FSC plicy, traders/brkers need t have a valid COC certificate in rder t make any claims related t FSC certified prducts. 7 The Hldridge Life Znes data set is frm the Internatinal Institute fr Applied Systems Analyses (IIASA) in Laxenburg, Austria. The data set shws the Hldridge Life Znes f the Wrld, a cmbinatin f climate and vegetatin (eclgical) types, under current, s-called "nrmal" climate cnditins. It has a spatial reslutin f ne-half degree latitude/lngitude, and a ttal f 38 life-zne classes. 8 f 8