We can help you reassure your customers that your products are not contributing to the destruction of our forests and have been legally harvested.
Not only is it the law in the EU, US or Australia to provide evidence of this, it’s also best practice wherever you’re in business. Increasingly, consumers demand it.
You may be looking to demonstrate that your wood is legal as a first step towards FSC® or PEFC certification. If so, we can help you through the process of meeting this initial minimum requirement to start you on the path to full certification.
Due Diligence System (DDS)
If you import your products into the EU, you’ll need to have a Due Diligence System in place. This tracks your materials back to the forest they came from and minimises the risk of illegal timber entering your supply chain. Soil Association Certification is a monitoring organisation recognised by the EU so you can use our DDS within your business to show you comply with the regulation.
We can give you:
Support in setting up our approved, fully comprehensive DDS, covering a risk assessment of each product before you buy it.
Guidance on implementing risk mitigation for products that do not pass the risk assessment.
Optional extra support and training.
A DDS Statement to demonstrate that you have fulfilled your obligations as an importer into the EU market.
Confirmation that any existing DDS you already have in place will be accepted by all EU Member States.
Your suppliers can prove their timber products come from legal forests if they are certified to FSC or PEFC standards. If they aren’t certified then they should seek Verification of Legal Compliance (VLC) as an alternative.
Our VLC certification reassures your customers that the forest your timber comes from meets the relevant national legislation. It also confirms that all documents to do with harvesting and other forest activities are valid. This makes it easier to market your products in the EU as they will be able to pass through Due Diligence Systems. As each country has different legislation, we adapt our VLC to local standards.
We offer two types of VLC:
Forest VLC, which can act as a stepping stone to full FSC Forest Management Certification.
Company VLC, which tracks timber from VLC forests and provides proof to sawmills, processors and importers that the chain of custody is legal.
If you’re FSC or PEFC certified but also sell non-certified products, we can carry out the VLC audit for these additional products at the same time.
If you’d like more detailed information on how we can help you comply with European and other international timber legislation then please contact us.
