German translation now available / Transitional period for PEFC-certified companies until August 2021

The revised requirements for PEFC chain-of-custody certification were published by PEFC International on 14.02.2020. The adoption of the 34-page standard was preceded by an extensive participation process in recent years.

Users of PEFC chain of custody certification now have about 18 months to adapt their processes to the new regulations. After the cut-off date, 14.08.2021, all certificates must refer to the new standard.

In total, new regulations came into force for three standards:

- PEFC ST 2002:2020 (Chain of Custody of Forest and Tree Based Products - Requirements, known as "Chain of Custody Standard")
- PEFC ST 2001:2020 (PEFC Trademarks Rules - Requirements, known as the "PEFC Logo Use Policy")
- PEFC ST 2003:2020 (Requirements for Certification Bodies operating Certification against the PEFC International Chain of Custody Standard, known as "Requirements for Certification Bodies in the field of Chain of Custody Certification")

PEFC ST 2002:2020 (Chain of Custody of Forest and Tree Based Products - Requirements) - the main changes:

An important innovation is an extended definition of "controversial sources". In addition to the principle of legality, sustainability criteria were included for the first time. This helps to ensure that no wood from non-sustainable sources enters the value chain.

In addition, the new PEFC CoC standard continues to place special emphasis on compliance with social criteria and requirements for occupational health and safety, based on the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

Download the new standard from PEFC International: www.pefc.de/pefc2002-2020.
Download the German translation from PEFC Germany: www.pefc.de/pefc2002-2020de.

PEFC ST 2001:2020 (PEFC Trademarks Rules - Requirements) - the most important changes:

The new PEFC Trademarks Standard PEFC ST 2001:2020 replaces the previous PEFC Logo Usage Guideline (PEFC D ST 2001:2008). It is intended to strengthen the uniform use of the logo worldwide and to make the meaning of the PEFC logo more comprehensible to end consumers. Companies can use the international PEFC Label Generator to generate PEFC logos. This is a free and simple online platform that enables the quick and compliant creation of PEFC logos. A new addition is the declaration "100 % PEFC Origin", to be translated as "100 % from PEFC forests".

Download the new standard from PEFC International: www.pefc.de/pefc2001-2020.

PEFC ST 2003:2020 (Requirements for Certification Bodies operating Certification against the PEFC International Chain of Custody Standard) - the most important changes

The requirements for certification bodies operating certification against the PEFC International Chain of Custody Standard (formerly: PEFC D ST 2003:2012) have been extended with regard to requirements for regular training of certification bodies and auditors - these are intended to ensure qualified and consistent control of PEFC standards.

Download the new standard from PEFC International: www.pefc.de/pefc2003-2020