The next generation of the FSC Chain of Custody standard is now in force

6 December 2007

The next generation of the standard for FSC chain of custody certification, FSC-STD-40-004 version 2, has been approved by the FSC Board of Directors. The new standard may be applied immediately by those companies wishing to do so, provided that they go through a formal approval procedure.

The standard is completely rewritten and restructured compared to version 1-0 of the standard, while the basic requirements are maintained to a wide extent. This leaves the impression of a much more thoroughly prepared and user friendly standard than the former version.

Another major advantage of the new version is that it is applicable to all company types in the chain of custody, while the first version excluded some companies such as printing houses and wholesalers. And some companies’ access to certification is improved. For example, timber traders are now allowed to use the so-called ”credit system”, and producers of assembled products are allowed to use up to 5% non-controlled components in cases where they have no other option.

However, the derogation procedure connected with the use of non-controlled components seems fraught with problems (see related article).

Overview of the key changes

The main changes compared to the first version are:

The standard is applicable to all company types
The Threshold system is re-named into ”Percentage system”
The Batch system has been re-named into ”Transfer system”
There is no longer any requirement for minimum10% rolling average in the credit system
An updated list of suppliers is required
The sales claim for credit material is now ”FSC Mixed Credit”
Up to 5% minor non-controlled components are allowed in assembled products.

Deadlines for compliance

The standard is effective as of November 2007, and may be immediately applied by certified companies or companies seeking certification, if they prefer to do so.

Companies which are already certified need to switch and comply with the new standard at the latest at their annual audit in 2009. The new standard shall be used for certifying new companies from the beginning of 2008.

Read more about deadlines and transition procedures related to the enforcement of the new CoC standard here.

A few things to be aware of!

There are special rules or limitations applying to certain business categories. Below, we have listed the most important ones:

Traders of final products are not allowed to use the so-called ”credit” and ”percentage” systems. They can only use the transfer system.
Printing houses are excluded from using the credit system.
Producers of assembled products, who are using up to 5% minor non-controlled components, need to follow a special derogation procedure. Download derogation procedure.