Following the situation of armed conflict by Russia in the Ukraine, there have been a number of communications made by the scheme owners for the Chain of Custody programmes. These communications have been made public on the websites of FSC International and PEFC International respectively.
The communications from both parties exclude timber originating from Russia and Belarus within the certification system. We would urge you to view these communications at the following websites;
FSC International - https://fsc.org/en/newsfeed/no-fsc-material-from-russia-and-belarus-until-the-invasion-ends
PEFC International – https://pefc.org/news/timber-from-russia-and-belarus-considered-conflict-timber
As well as the restrictions placed by the scheme owners a further communication has been made by Assurance Services International (ASI) who are the accreditation body for the FSC scheme placing a restriction on the audit activities for certifications bodies (CABs) in Russian territories.
https://www.asi-assurance.org/s/post/a1J5c00000S0idmEAB/p0943
As the situation changes and the scheme owners and accreditation body requirements subsequently change, we will be updating our own website to keep you updated on all relevant information. Please ensure you are using the public websites for this updated information throughout this situation.