Requirements for Certification Bodies conducting PEFC Chain of Custody certification

This standard defines the requirements for certification bodies carrying out PEFC Chain of Custody certification.

The current status of the standard

The PEFC General Assembly approved the revised standard on 17 January 2020. The standard entered into force 14 February 2020, replacing the previous version. There is now a transition period, after which all users of the standard will need to be in line with the latest requirements. 

Please note, due to the COVID-19 situation, we extended the 18-month transition period by six months. The new transition date is 14 February 2022.

For certification bodies currently providing PEFC chain of custody certification services, you can find comprehensive guidance on what you need to do in order to offer certification against the 2020 standards on our website.

A permanent working group continues the development of the PEFC chain of custody, maintaining the following standards:

• PEFC ST 2001, PEFC Trademarks
• PEFC ST 2002, PEFC Chain of Custody
• PEFC ST 2003, Certification Body Requirements – Chain of Custody 

This includes the further implementation and interpretation of these standards, the development of new tools, and ensuring the PEFC chain of custody is up-to-date regarding stakeholder needs, technology developments, and certification demands.

What changed in the last revision?

Auditors are now subject to additional training requirements for conducting PEFC chain of custody certification. This further safeguards the integrity of the conformity assessment process, and ensures that specifics concerning PEFC requirements, including e.g. the expanded definition of controversial sources, international conventions on worker’s rights and labour contracts, or collective bargaining agreements, are accurately verified. 

In line to our commitment to gender responsive standards, certification bodies now need to consider gender equity within the personnel involved in the certification activities.

We also look to modernize the certification procedures, by considering the use of technology in remote auditing for client organizations without physical handling of finished and labelled products.

Find out more about the changes: