Tuesday, 05 April 2016
Attention Certification Bodies: FSC Publishes New Accreditation Standard for Chain of Custody Evaluations
© FSC GDThe FSC International Board of Directors has approved FSC-STD-20-011 V3-0 Chain of Custody Evaluations, which will be effective from 1 July 2016. The standard outlines requirements for certification bodies to evaluate chain of custody activities, which include the sourcing of controlled wood.
The publication of FSC-STD-20-011 V3-0 comes soon after FSC-STD-40-005 FSC Standard for Company Evaluations of FSC Controlled Wood was approved and published – the results of an ambitious process that began when members passed Motion 51, Strengthening the Controlled Wood System, at the 2011 FSC General Assembly.
To ensure that the revised controlled wood system is consistently implemented, the newly approved FSC-STD-20-011 V3-0 provides the requirements for evaluating a due diligence system, as well as introducing major changes in chain of custody evaluation. These include
- stakeholder consultation in some areas
- public summaries of the certification process
New elements have also been introduced to improve the quality and transparency of the certification process involving controlled wood.
Input to the revision was provided by the chamber-balanced working group engaged in the revision of the controlled wood system, and changes to the standard were opened for public consultation in 2014. A draft standard was field tested in Australia and Romania in 2014, and a later version in Canada and Russia in 2015. Feedback was also obtained from Accreditation Services International.
Click here to download FSC-STD-20-011 V3-0.