Navigating EUDR Compliance: What role does certification play in compliance?
The EU Deforestation Regulation is now set to come into force in December 2025, following a 12 month extension of the transition period.
In preparation, businesses and certification bodies alike are exploring the role of certification in reaching EUDR compliance. In this blog, we look at what certification to FSC® or PEFC standards means for EUDR compliance; how certification bodies like Soil Association Certification can support Certificate Holders to meet the EUDR requirements, and what businesses can be doing to prepare for compliance in the meantime.
Myth buster: “My business is certified to FSC® or PEFC standards, EUDR doesn’t impact me”
While certification under these standards is a valuable tool for EUDR preparedness, it's crucial to note that certification is not an automatic guarantee of EUDR compliance. Rather, it helps organisations prepare and organise the necessary information for compliance with their new or existing certification.
The forest products industry is experiencing significant changes as companies prepare for EUDR implementation. FSC® and PEFC have developed different approaches to help certificate holders meet these new requirements:
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FSC® has introduced a Regulatory Module as a voluntary addition to existing certifications, allowing companies to extend the scope of their certification to meet EUDR requirements.
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For PEFC Forest Management Certificate Holders, if your business is compliant to the latest version of the PEFC sustainable forestry standard, you will be compliant to PEFC’s EUDR standards by default. PEFC has introduced a separate Due Diligence System (DDS) module, similar to FSC®'s Regulatory Module, for Chain of Custody Certificate Holders.
Further, it should be noted that certification to FSC® or PEFC standards indicates that your organisation's systems meet the requirements of the relevant standards. However, this doesn't automatically make your products EUDR compliant.
Certification doesn’t mean that companies can avoid activities required by EUDR. In addition to certification to latest PEFC or additional FSC® standards, companies will still need to:
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Submit required information through the EUDR Information System. More information can be found on the European Commission website.
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Monitor and adapt to EUDR requirements and updated certification requirements.
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Maintain ongoing compliance with certification requirements.
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Our in-house EUDR experts have designed a comprehensive introductory training program to help companies navigate compliance with EUDR regulatory requirements.
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Soil Association Certification is currently working towards becoming an accredited provider of both the FSC® Regulatory Module, and PEFC’s DDS, including developing new systems and procedures to implement these new services. Although the EU has recently extended the EUDR transition period by 12 months, companies should be aiming for EUDR alignment as soon as possible.
At Soil Association Certification, preparations are underway to have our new FSC© PEFC systems and procedures accredited, to begin onboarding new and existing certificate holders in early to mid 2025.
Soil Association Certification’s Responsible Sourcing team has designed a range of resources to support businesses through EUDR compliance, including training, gap analyses and audits. This is different to accredited FSC® and PEFC EUDR services.
Please contact the teams below for more information on these services:
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Training: forestrytraining@soilassociation.org
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Gap Analysis & auditsresponsiblesourcing@soilassociation.org
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More information about our Responsible Sourcing work can be found on our webpage
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For further questions and support, or to speak to one of our EUDR champions, please email responsiblesourcing@soilassociation.org.
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