Timber certification

WHAT IS FOREST CERTIFICATION ?

Forest certification is a voluntary, market-based tool that uses independent third-party assessment to verify that forest management and production meet defined standards.

Depending on the scheme, certification may focus on legal compliance or on broader sustainable forest management, covering environmental, social and economic requirements.

Forest certification provides buyers and consumers with assurance that wood and forest products come from forests managed according to defined requirements.

It relies on two complementary components:

• Forest Management (FM) certification, which assesses forest management against a defined standard; and
• Chain of Custody (CoC) certification, which ensures certified material is identified and tracked through the supply chain.

Both are required for an end-product to carry a certification claim or label.

how can certification support due diligence?

The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) does not recognise certification as automatic proof of compliance. Operators remain responsible for exercising due diligence and demonstrating that products placed on the EU market are:

• legal;
• deforestation-free and forest degradation-free after 31 December 2020;
• associated with no more than a negligible risk of non-compliance.

However, third-party certification can provide valuable information and verification mechanisms that can support due diligence and help operators assess and mitigate risks.

When using certification as part of risk assessment or risk mitigation, operators should consider:

• the scope and requirements of the certification scheme, and the extent to which the information and assurances it provides are relevant to the applicable EUDR requirements. Some forest certification schemes have developed EUDR-specific modules, tools or guidance, and independent assessments are also available;
• the validity and scope of the certificate, including whether the supplier and the products concerned are covered by a valid certificate and the relevant certification claim. Certificate validity can be checked through certification scheme databases or, where appropriate, with the certification body.

Further guidance

For tropical timber supply chains, ATIBT has published practical guidance on the role of certification in supporting EUDR due diligence. It explains how certification can contribute to traceability, legality verification, risk assessment and risk mitigation, while emphasising that certification does not replace the operator's due diligence obligations.