Grounding EUDR Forest Geolocation inside FSC Chain of Custody
EUDR compliance requires paper packaging to carry verified forest polygon coordinates through segregated chain of custody, eliminating mass balance credits.
FSC-STD-40-008
Certification Framework
Forest certification standards govern the processing, documentation, and sales requirements for companies that handle certified wood and paper products. The fsc-std-40-008 standard establishes the specific rules for chain of custody certification across multiple sites or projects under a single certificate holder. This regulatory document allows complex paper converting companies and multi-branch paper merchants to operate under a unified management system.
It ensures that every facility under the certificate maintains consistent tracking of certified paper stock.
Sourcing Criteria
Implementing this unified standard requires a central office to exercise control over all participating branches or sub-sites in the paper supply chain. The central office must conduct internal audits of each site annually to ensure compliance with the material handling and billing procedures. When a packaging converter uses the fsc-std-40-008 framework, they must establish clear procedures for segregating certified and non-certified paperboards at every warehouse location.
The standard also mandates a systematic training program for employees involved in receiving, processing, and shipping certified products. These control measures prevent the accidental mixing of certified and non-certified materials during high-volume converting runs. By centralizing the certification audit, companies reduce their annual compliance costs while maintaining the integrity of the FSC label on their products.
Audit Limit
Geographic and organizational limits restrict the application of this standard to entities with common ownership or a strong contractual relationship. Sites that operate completely independently cannot be grouped under a single multi-site certificate. Furthermore, each participating site must remain open to random checks by the accredited certification body to verify that the central office is conducting its oversight effectively.