Oct 04 2012 - The PEFC Chain of Custody (CoC) Working Group confirmed in its last meeting that PEFC CoC certification will satisfy information needs of legislative and regulatory processes such as the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) , the U.S. Lacy Act, and the Australian Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill. The PEFC Board of Directors requested the working group in December 2011 to revise the PEFC CoC standard to ensure that all certified companies meet the EUTR requirements. Discussions among stakeholder representatives in the working group focussed on options for the implementation of information requirements on a mandatory basis without posing an undue burden on certificate holders not affected by such legislation.
Appropriate requirements will be built into PEFC’s Due Diligence System (DDS), which is an integral part of the CoC standards and therefore a mandatory element in CoC certification. At the same point in time, the PEFC DDS is available as a stand-alone mechansim, offering companies that are not prepared or eligible to obtain full PEFC CoC certification with a tool to demonstrate compliance with EUTR.
The revised PEFC Chain of custody standard with the modified DDS is scheduled to be approved by PEFC in February 2013.