Forest Products (FSC CoC) Certification

An FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Chain of Custody certificate shows that a forest product can be traced through the supply chain back to responsibly managed forests. There are two separate certificate types: the Forest Management (FM) certificate for the forest itself, and the Chain of Custody (CoC) certificate for every link after the forest. To sell a product with an FSC claim, every organisation in the chain needs a CoC certificate.

• Furniture, timber and wood-panel manufacturers
• Paper, cardboard and packaging manufacturers
• Firms providing printing services
• Firms trading and storing forest products
• Manufacturers selling wood- or paper-based products into European retail

Voluntary. However, regulations such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) impose sourcing and due-diligence obligations for wood, paper and certain commodities. An FSC certificate is not automatically equivalent to this obligation — legislative compliance must be separately demonstrated — but it provides strong support for the traceability infrastructure.

• The chain-of-custody management system: responsibility, procedures, records, training
• Verifying the source of the material and checking supplier certificates
• Material categories: FSC 100%, FSC Mix, FSC Recycled, and Controlled Wood
• Claim methods: physical separation (transfer) and mass balance (percentage/credit)
• Input-output records and volume reconciliation
• Correctly showing the FSC claim on sales documents
• Trademark and logo-use rules
• Control of outsourced operations
• Requirements on occupational health and safety and fundamental worker rights

1. 1Application and Product DescriptionThe product family, model list, technical specifications and target market are determined. The applicable standard and certification route become clear at this step.
2. 2Technical File ReviewDesign documents, the bill of materials, critical-component certificates and the instructions for use are examined.
3. 3Product TestingThe tests the relevant standard requires are carried out. The test report is the fundamental basis for the certification decision.
4. 4Factory AuditIf the scheme requires it, the continuity of manufacturing and factory production control (FPC) are verified on site.
5. 5Issuing the Certificate and MarkingOnce conformity is verified, the certificate is issued; the marking rules for the product and packaging are applied.
6. 6Follow-up AuditsDepending on the scheme, periodic factory audits and/or follow-up testing on samples taken from the market are carried out.

The validity period varies by scheme: some product certificates are indefinite and rely on periodic factory audits, while some schemes (e.g. country market marks) require annual or per-shipment renewal. Every design change to the product requires the certificate to be reviewed.

• The list of product models and variants
• Technical drawings, diagrams and the bill of materials
• Certificates for critical components
• The instructions for use and a sample label
• Existing test reports, if any
• Production-site details

There is no fixed list price; the cost is calculated based on the following variables and provided in writing in the quote.

• The number of models and variants in the product family
• The test scope the applicable standard requires
• Whether a factory audit is required
• The number of target markets and whether each requires separate testing
• Whether existing test reports can be accepted

Product certification is carried out under ISO/IEC 17065; The tests that form the basis for certification are carried out in laboratories with ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. The two scopes are separate. Recognition between accreditation bodies is provided through IAF and ILAC agreements.

The scope under which this scheme can be offered varies according to your product and activity; it is confirmed in writing at the quote stage.

• PEFC CoCForest Products
• Chain of Custody
• ISCC EUBiofuel
• ISCC PLUSCircular/Bio-based
• Biomass Certification
• Biofuel Certification
• RSPOPalm Oil
• Rainforest AllianceSustainable Agriculture