At PEFC, we have a longstanding commitment to halting deforestation through the promotion of sustainable forest management and products that do not contribute to forest loss. We are committed to continuing this work and strongly support the objectives of the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR).
Our standards are already well positioned to meet many key elements of the EUDR, and we are working intensively to align them more closely with EUDR requirements. PEFC chain of custody certified companies and PEFC certified forest owners will soon be able to benefit from our practical solutions to enable them to successfully implement EUDR.
At PEFC, we take a holistic approach in how we manage our forests sustainably. PEFC certification takes into account numerous environmental, social and economic considerations, while at the same time addressing the EUDR's key focus - deforestation and legality of wood.
The EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR), which entered into force on 29 June 2023, aims to decrease the production and consumption of commodities and derived products linked to deforestation and forest degradation entering or leaving the EU market.
By imposing strict requirements on operators and traders, it builds on the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) for wood products. The EUDR requires companies to exercise due diligence for their products, which must be legally produced and deforestation-free – this means not produced on land that has been subject to deforestation or forest degradation after 31 December 2020.
The EUDR covers a wide range of timber products, including sawn timber, wood-based materials, paper, and furniture, as well as rubber. The EUDR also applies to palm oil, soy, coffee, cacao, and beef.
22 August 2024: osapiens and PEFC have entered a strategic partnership to tackle compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Find out more.
26 July 2024: Following its approval by the PEFC General Assembly, PEFC ST 2002-1:2024, Requirements for the Implementation of PEFC EUDR Due Diligence System (PEFC EUDR DDS), was published on 20 July 2024. Find out more or download the module standard.
27 June 2024: The two organisations have combined their expertise in satellite analytics and modular chain of custody to devise a program that guides PEFC-certified companies to EUDR compliance. Find out more.
2 October 2024: The European Commission announced a proposal for an additional 12 months to prepare for the start of application of the EUDR. Along with it, the Commission published the EUDR guidelines and updated the FAQ document, together with some other relevant implementation material. Find out more
If you have any questions or queries regarding PEFC and our alignment with EUDR, please contact us at eudr@pefc.org.
You can also sign up to our Technical Matters newsletter to keep up to date on all the latest PEFC EUDR news.
Forest certification is a valuable tool in preventing the flow of material coming from forests connected to deforestation and degradation, due to the assurances it provides through third-party verification. PEFC is well placed to ensure you will be able to meet the EUDR requirements.
PEFC has 25 years of experience in enabling dialogue on sustainable forest management. We meet the challenge of EUDR no differently: bringing different experts and stakeholders together, building consensus, and providing a solution to the market that gives flexibility and responds to the needs of our stakeholders.
We have put in place a cross-functional plan to cover the different aspects within EUDR. Aligned to our inclusive dialogue and bottom-up approach, PEFC members and external experts are participating in working groups and task forces to develop our PEFC EUDR solution for the market.
We are advancing through three development streams, all of them interconnected, but each focused on the key topics within the EUDR:
Behind the scenes, our Working Groups and Task Forces are working on our development streams to ensure we have practical solutions in place to enable you to successfully implement EUDR. We also continue to engage with the EU Commission, as we have done since the start of the EUDR development process.
We are developing partnerships with a range of Earth Observation (EO) and Traceability companies.
LIVE EO, osapiens, and TimberID have end-to-end software solutions for EUDR compliance which include Earth Observation checks for deforestation and degradation, data sharing capability and Due Diligence Statement functionality.
Timbeter are specialists in geolocation and traceability of timber and are currently adding further EUDR capabilities to their product offering. Ekwato is an efficient digital solution to manage and monitor timber products purchasing policies.
Find out more about our technical partners below.
Live Eo offers earth observation technologies and solutions for asset monitoring, providing insights for businesses for increased safety, efficiency, and sustainability.
osapiens provides Software-as-a-Service solutions to enable global companies establish corporate sustainability, fulfil legal ESG requirements, and automate manual processes.
Deeplai developed the DeepTech solution Timber ID to meet and solve EUDR objectives, providing proof of timber provenance in the chain of custody.
Forest tech company Timbeter offers a digital timber measurement solution that uses machine learning technology and artificial intelligence for accurate log detection and supply chain management.
Ekwato is an efficient digital solution to meet companies' internal, normative or regulatory requirements when purchasing wood products, providing a tool to manage complex documentation and risk analysis process for each product.
Orbify offers satellite-powered environmental analytics for EUDR compliance and Nature Conservation. Orbify’s EUDR tool, Compliance Orb, streamlines the EUDR compliance process by performing historical deforestation analysis, assessing risks, and providing near-real-time alerts to ensure deforestation-free supply chains.
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