EU Timber Regulation Q&A

As a company founded on manufacturing from wood, JELD-WEN recognises the importance of a sustainable supply chain. All JELD-WEN's doors in Europe meet the requirements of the new EU Timber Regulation effective March 2013.

Read our free guide: JELD-WEN and the EU Timber Regulation Q&A

What is the EU Timber Regulation?
Does the EU Timber Regulation affect the supply and variety of JELD-WEN products?
Is compliance with the EU Timber Regulation optional?
What about the EU Timber Regulation in Norway and Switzerland?
What is the connection between the EU Timber Regulation and FSC™/PEFC™?
What is FSC?
What is PEFC?
What are the similarities between FSC and PEFC?
What is the difference between FSC and PEFC?
What is Chain of Custody (CoC)?

1. What is the EU Timber Regulation?

The EU Timber Regulation is a new legislation from the European Union with the purpose to combat trade in illegally harvested timber. To achieve this goal, the new regulation sets out procedures which companies within EU must follow to minimise the risk of illegal timber being traded.

More specifically, this means that any company importing wood products from outside the EU is responsible for ensuring their legal origin through a due diligence process verifying legality of the products. The due diligence process consist of the wood operating companies undertaking a risk management exercise in order to minimize the risk of placing illegally harvested timber on the market.

Also the companies trading wood products after they have entered the EU market are responsible for keeping records of their suppliers and customers in order to keep the traceability of the timber product.

2. Does the EU Timber Regulation affect the supply and variety of JELD-WEN products?

All in all, the EU Timber Regulation does not carry along any major changes which will affect our customers when buying or specifying our products.

Although a number of African or tropical species are being cut from the JELD-WEN range, we have endeavored to replace risk species with similar certified species.

3. Is compliance with the EU Timber Regulation optional?

No, compliance with the EUTR is mandatory. It will be controlled by the local authorities in each country.

4. What about the EU Timber Regulation in Norway and Switzerland?

The current situation is that Norway will likely follow the same rules as prescribed by the EU Timber Regulation and Switzerland already has a similar law. This means that neither of these two countries operates with stricter regulations than the EU Timber Regulation; however JELD-WEN has decided to take the same stringent approach to our products on these markets as we do in the rest of Europe.

5. What is the connection between the EU Timber Regulation and FSC™/PEFC™?

Products made of FSC™ or PEFC™ certified timber do not automatically live up to the EUTR. The FSC/PEFC certification is however a big step in the right direction when working with traceability and due diligence system.

Only minor technical details keeps FSC and PEFC certifications from living up to EUTR and both organisations are currently working on finding a solution for this and expect to have it cleared in the near future.

6. What is FSC?

FSC, or Forest Stewardship Council™, is a global forestry certification system established for forests and forest products. It was founded in 1993 and is an international, non-profit, open membership organization which is constituted of individuals and representatives from organizations. FSC certification covers three main areas: environment, social conditions and economics. FSC's aim is that the world's forests meet the social, ecological, and economic rights and needs of the present generation without compromising those of future generations.

7. What is PEFC?

PEFC, or Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification™, is an international forest certification system that promotes environmentally, socially and economically sustainable forestry throughout the world. Requirements of PEFC certification covers the protection of forest biodiversity, forest health and growth, maintenance, and recreation. PEFC works as an umbrella organization by endorsing national forest certification systems which are tailored to local priorities and conditions.

8. What are the similarities between FSC and PEFC?

Both FSC and PEFC are international non-governmental, non-profit organisations. Both schemes work to promote responsible foresty through standards for responsible forestry and standards for traceability. This means that both schemes represent a guarantee that the product carrying their logo comes from forests where no more trees are cut down than the forest can manage to reproduce. At the same time it is a guarantee for the protection of the animal life and flora and that the people working in the forests are ensured proper working conditions.

9. What is the difference between FSC and PEFC?

For the average end-consumer there is not much difference between the two label schemes FSC and PEFC.

FSC was founded in the early 1990s on the basis of concerns over tropical deforestation and the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. Few years later PEFC was founded, evolving from a pan-European rival to FSC to become a global competitor. Today FSC is clearly in the leading position when it comes to appeal and market presence, however, PEFC extends to more of the world's forests.

Other than that the most notable differences are that FSC is based on environmental organisations, companies, and social organisations whereas PEFC is the foresters' own organisations. Generally speaking it can also be said that FSC works by a global set of rules whereas PEFC adapts their rules to national standards.

Over the next years FSC and PEFC are raising their standards making them more compatible.

10. What is Chain of Custody (CoC)?

Chain-of-Custody is an expression frequently used in connection with sustainability and green forestry. It has to do with traceability which basically means that there is evidence of a product's origin from a sustainable forest.

CoC is the channel through which products are distributed from their origin to their end-destination. That means it is the flow through the supply chain all the way from the actual forest to the final destination (retailer/merchant) which proves that the product comes from well-managed forests. To comply with CoC all the links in the chain must have an audited Chain of Custody process. The expression CoC can also be used to provide traceability for schemes which verify the legality of wood (e.g. EU Timber Regulation)