October 17, 2023 (press release) –
Important reminder for companies still certified against the 2013 version of the PEFC Chain of Custody standard. After 14 November 2023, certificates issued against the 2013 version of PEFC ST 2002 and PEFC ST 2001 will no longer be valid.
In February 2020, PEFC published the latest versions of the PEFC Chain of Custody and PEFC Trademarks standards. Certified entities had until 14 August 2023 to move from the 2013 version of the standards to the 2020 version.
After this transition period, certificates issued against the 2013 version of the PEFC Chain of Custody standards (PEFC ST 2002:2013) and PEFC Logo Usage Rules (PEFC ST 2001:2013) will lose their validity on 14 November 2023.
Transitioning to the 2020 standards
In order to be certified against the 2020 version of the standards, companies need to adapt their chain of custody management system and procedures to the revised requirements.
Unlike the previous standard, all companies who pass the transition audit to the 2020 version will need to sign a new, mandatory PEFC Trademark Usage Contract according to PEFC ST 2001:2020 – Trademarks Rules – Requirements, to use the PEFC logo and/or initials.
Once your trademarks usage contract is signed, the company can request access to the new PEFC Label Generator, in order to start producing PEFC trademarks in line with the 2020 PEFC Trademarks standard and request for any exceptional use as mentioned under PEFC ST 2001:2020 8.4. The old label generator will stop working after 14 November 2023.
Chain of custody certified companies
If you are a company still certified against the 2013 standard, please reach out to your certification body for assistance or to organise your next audit against the 2020 standard. It is important to note that the transition to the new version does not impact the certification cycle, so it can happen during a surveillance audit.
Certification bodies
If you are aware that you have client organisations still certified to the 2013 standard, please reach out to them as soon as possible to make the necessary arrangements for a smooth transition by 14 November 2023.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us: technical@pefc.org
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