Criteria for label scheme licensees

1. Licensees must be based in Scotland. They must not be subsidiaries of or owned by companies based outside Scotland.

2. Licensees must be small businesses (Scottish Enterprise definition of SMEs), based in Scotland. 

3. Licensees must ensure that their raw materials (those that come from woodlands) come from legal sources within Scotland.  This ensures that they comply with the UK Forestry Standard.  Compliance with the Standard and its supporting literature is a prerequisite for meeting the conditions of regulatory mechanisms such as Felling Licences.

Small amounts of timber are felled outwith the scope of FC Felling Licence legislation, normally from the unavoidable felling of some town, garden or individual trees, in which case they are covered by the Town and Country Planning and other allied legislation.

Non-Timber Forest Products must meet the appropriate guidelines for NTFPs listed in Annex 1.

4. Products carrying the label must contain at least 90% Scottish raw materials (of the woodland products component). Manufactured goods may, of necessity, contain a percentage of non-Scottish woodland material, about which the producer will provide information to customers on request. Components or ingredients which do not come from woodlands are not covered by the label.

Disclaimer
This label does not imply any guarantee of the quality of goods sold carrying the label.  The label scheme does not accept any liability for any disagreement or dissatisfaction as a result of business between a company licensed to use the label and any other party.

Annex 1

Guidelines for Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs)

Due to the wide range of NTFPs that are available from Scottish woods, guidelines and indicators for sustainability have not yet been developed for many woodland species from which products are derived. Where guidelines do exist, such as the “Scottish Wild Mushroom Code”- sustainable should be interpreted to mean that products have been grown and/or harvested in compliance with existing guidelines. NTFPs for which no guidelines have been developed will be understood to be wild harvested with due care for the environmental and social consequences of the harvesting process.