Harry Potter author snubs Finnish printing paper
Posted: 24 January 2008 1427 hrs

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HELSINKI - The author of the best-selling Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling, has blocked the Finnish version of her latest book from being printed on local paper because it lacks the ecological FSC certification, her Finnish publisher said Wednesday.

Finland is one of the world's biggest paper producers, but Rowling has insisted that the printer import more environmentally-friendly paper for the publication of the seventh and final book in her series, "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows".

"Finnish paper has labels, but not the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)" certificate that Rowling has requested, Sinikka Partanen, a spokewoman for the Tammi publishing house, told AFP.

"The first (Harry Potter) books in Finnish were printed on recycled paper. This time it's a more specific demand," Partanen said.

FSC is an ecological stamp of approval guaranteeing that a product derived from wood has been manufactured with the sustainable development of forests in mind.

"The availability of FSC products in Finland is still very poor. We use mainly the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes, but we do promote sustainable forestry. We also try to promote FSC," Antti Otsamo of the Finnish Federation of Forest Industries said.

The latest Harry Potter book, which was released in English in July 2007, has been a worldwide hit. The Finnish language version is due out on March 7. - AFP/il/ar