European accreditation bodies ready to offer accreditation for the 2020 chain of custody standards

Following the positive evaluation of the PEFC chain of custody by the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA), European accreditation bodies can now provide accreditation against the 2020 PEFC Chain of Custody and Trademarks standards.

This decision enables certification bodies to update their accreditation and clears the way for thousands of PEFC-certified companies worldwide to transition to the 2020 chain of custody standards. Furthermore, companies looking to achieve PEFC certification have the opportunity to be certified against the 2020 standards.

In addition, we have extended the transition period by six months, to 14 August 2022, to give accreditation and certification bodies more flexibility. After this date, all certification bodies must be accredited against the 2020 standards and all chain of custody audits carried out against the 2020 standards.

A little background
In February 2020, PEFC published the 2020 versions of three vital international standards: Chain of Custody (ST 2002), PEFC Trademarks (ST 2001) and Certification Body Requirements – Chain of Custody (ST 2003).

Certification bodies need to be accredited against both the 2020 PEFC Trademarks and Chain of Custody standards before they can offer PEFC chain of custody certification against the 2020 PEFC Chain of Custody standard. Certification bodies can find out more about this process here.

In Europe, EA applies a process called ‘EA Procedure and Criteria for the Evaluation of Conformity Assessment Schemes by EA Accreditation Body Members’ (EA-1/22) to decide whether a standard can be accepted by an accreditation body for accreditation.

As a scheme owner, PEFC needed the PEFC Chain of Custody standards to comply with EA 1/22 requirements to enable European certification bodies to be accredited against the 2020 standards.

On 6 April 2021, following a thorough assessment by ACCREDIA, the Italian accreditation body and so called “home AB” for PEFC, EA confirmed that the PEFC Chain of Custody of Forest and Tree Based Products scheme based on product certification (ISO/IEC 17065) is now considered acceptable by European national accreditation bodies, and EA members (European accreditation bodies) can now start accreditation of certification bodies.
https://pefc.org/news/european-accreditation-bodies-ready-to-offer-accreditation-for-the-2020-chain-of-custody-standards

Related Posts

Strengthening sustainable forest management in Myanmar

“Forest certification has the potential to greatly support Myanmar's forest sector and contribute to the ongoing reform process,” said Dr. Nyi Nyi Kyaw, Director General of the Forest Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation of Government of Myanmar at the launch of a new initiative to promote sustainable forest management in Myanmar. The initiative will develop and test tools that support legal, sustainable and transparent forest product trade and is implemented jointly by PEFC International and the Myanmar Forest Certification Committee (MFCC). “The Forest Department recognizes the value of this project towards strengthening the MFCC,” said Dr Kyaw. The primary focus of the project, supported by Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, is to strengthen and operationalize the national forest certification system in Myanmar. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Over 400 Trees for Greiz

At Koehler, sustainable management, thinking and acting is part of the corporate strategy. This also includes taking care of the immediate surroundings of the individual plants and assuming responsibility. This includes sponsoring streams, building nesting boxes or maintaining orchard meadows. Or even a tree planting campaign, as has now taken place in Greiz. "As one of the largest employers in Greiz, we have a responsibility to the town and the people", says Udo Hollbach, Managing Director of Koehler Greiz GmbH & Co. KG. The idea of the tree planting campaign, which has now been put into practice, was born in discussions with the town council. "With this, we are not only doing something for the environment, but also promoting company health management".

Greif, Inc. Joins the Alliance to End Plastic Waste

Greif, Inc. announced it has joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (Alliance), a global non-profit organization consisting of over 50 companies committed to ending plastic waste in the environment and protecting the planet. “As a leader in industrial packaging, we recognize the responsibility we have to reduce the environmental impact of our products and operations and contribute towards a more circular economy,” said Ole Rosgaard, Greif’s Chief Operating Officer. “We are excited to join other like-minded companies as a member of the Alliance. Through open collaboration and leadership provided by the Alliance, we can advance the need for more sustainable packaging and tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues. I look forward to working closely with other Alliance members to advance our shared ambitions and contribute to more sustainable outcomes.”
Back To Top
×Close search
Search