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Stakeholder Consultation for Forest Evaluations
FSC-STD-20-006
This standard is designed to give certification bodies and stakeholders more clarity as to the nature and extent of stakeholder consultation required for evaluation of FSC Forest Stewardship Standards.
Forest Management Evaluations
FSC-STD-20-007
The objective of this standard is to provide the requirements for FSC-accredited certification bodies to assess conformity of The Organization against applicable requirements of the FSC normative framework with regards to forest management certification, as well as reporting and decision making. To access the current effective version 3.0, click here .
FSC Principles and Criteria for Forest Stewardship
FSC-STD-01-001
FSC is an international organization that provides a system for voluntary accreditation and independent third-party certification. This system allows certificate holders to market their products and services as the result of environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable forest management. FSC also sets standards for the development and approval of FSC Stewardship Standards which are based on the FSC Principles and Criteria. In addition, FSC sets standards for the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies (also known as certification bodies) that certify compliance with FSC's standards. Based on these standards, FSC provides a system for certification for organizations seeking to market their products as FSC certified. Version 4-0 is still applicable to those territories which have FSC certified forests but do not have Forest Stewardship Standards based on Version 5-0. Version 4-0 is available for download here: FSC-STD-01-001 Principles and Criteria for Forest Stewardship V4-0
Requirements for use of the FSC trademarks by certificate holders
FSC-STD-50-001
This standard is mandatory for all FSC certificate holders who are entitled to use the FSC trademarks and sets out how to use the FSC trademarks correctly. The standard covers use of the FSC trademarks on FSC certified products, use for promotion of FSC certified products, and for promotion of the company's status as an FSC certificate holder. This standard forms the basis for evaluation and approval by FSC accredited certification bodies of all certificate holders' FSC trademark use.
Forest Management Evaluations Addendum – Forest Certification Public Summary Reports
FSC-STD-20-007b
Please note that the content of this normative document has been streamlined into FSC-STD-20-007 Forest Management Evaluations Standard (V4-0) Publication date: 1 February 2023 Effective date: 1 July 2023 End of transition period: 31 December 2024 The social impacts of forest management mean that forest management is a social as a well as a technical activity. It is not possible to involve all stakeholders in every forest evaluation. It is therefore essential that forest certification and its results should be open to public scrutiny. This is the only way to demonstrate to all interested or affected parties that the certification decisions are justified and acceptable. It is a basic requirement of the FSC scheme that certification bodies make a summary report of each certified forest operation publicly available.
Process Requirements for the Development and Maintenance of National Forest Stewardship Standards
FSC-STD-60-006
This standard specifies the process requirements to be followed for the development and revision of regional (supra-national, trans-national), national or sub-national FSC Forest Stewardship Standards by registered Standards Development Groups and endorsed National Initiatives.
FSC Glossary of Terms
FSC-STD-01-002
This Glossary is a collection of the most frequently used terms and definitions that have been approved and are used in documents of the FSC Normative Framework, published in the English language.
Standard for evaluation of FSC Controlled Wood in Forest Management Enterprises
FSC-STD-20-012
This standard is designed to provide a credible guarantee that all forest management units (FMUs) included in the scope of a FSC Controlled Wood certificate comply with the requirements of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Controlled Wood standards for forest management enterprises FSC-STD-30-010 (Version 2-0).
Structure and Content of National Forest Stewardship Standards
FSC-STD-60-002
This International Standard shall be used as a normative document for FSC approval of regional, national or sub-national Forest Stewardship Standards.
Sourcing reclaimed material for use in FSC Product Groups or FSC Certified Projects
FSC-STD-40-007
This standard stipulates the requirements that shall be followed by organizations certified according to FSC-STD-40-004 or FSC-STD-40-006 for purchasing, verifying and classifying reclaimed forest-based inputs (including materials such as bamboo and cork) for use in FSC Product Groups and FSC Certified Projects.
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FSC normative documents
FSC_Policy_responses_Ukraine__2022-12-19
FSC-STD-RAP-01-2021
FSC-STD-01-003 SLIMF Review Report
Focus Forests Landscape Dialogue – Info Sheet_EN
2018.07 New Members EN- FSC Internacional
2020.12 New Members EN - FSC Internacional
FSC core labour requirements self-assessment_USA V1-0
FSC core labour requirements self-assessment_Australia V1-0
Greenpeace Report - Stolen Future

Case summary

In April 2021, a German lower court found persons working for WOB Timber GmbH in breach of a European Union (EU) timber trade regulation and evading specific EU sanctions on Myanmar timber (no longer in force since May 2013) regarding imports between June 2008 and May 2011. WOB Timber has appealed the lower court ruling and denies any violation of EU sanctions or illegal trade in forest products. 

The German Federal Supreme Court has suspended the appeal proceedings and referred the case to the Court of Justice of the EU for a preliminary ruling. FSC holds the view that the lower court ruling provides substantial information of a potential violation of the FSC Policy for Association of Organizations (FSC-POL-01-004 V2-0), policy element (a) illegal logging or the trade in illegal wood or forest products. 

WOB Timber does not agree with FSC’s position. 
 

Process updates

Direct decision - phase 2

 

Information review

Information review

Wherein FSC deems there is sufficient substantial information to support an allegation of an unacceptable activity, FSC shall move directly to decision making. The decision panel shall review the information and decide on the sufficiency of the information to conclude whether an unacceptable activity has occurred.  

Update: The decision panel has been constituted. The provisions of Policy for Association, version 2 is applied in this case because the unacceptable activity took place prior to 1 January 2023.   
 

Preliminary evaluation

Preliminary evaluation

FSC evaluates all available information to determine the application of the Policy for Association against the applicable version according to the allegations.  FSC then undertakes an evaluation on the implementation of alternative dispute resolution tools to resolve the issue(s) taking into consideration exigency, the subject matter and willingness of the parties to engage in dialogue.  FSC takes a decision to proceed with ADR or move to investigation or a direct decision via a decision panel.

Update: FSC International proactively launched a Policy for Association (PfA) case against WOB Timber GmbH. This case will be managed using the Direct Decision process.