Between 1990 and 2020, the world lost approximately 420 million hectares of forest—an area equivalent to the size of the European Union. As deforestation continues to threaten biodiversity, disrupt ecosystems, and accelerate climate change, governments and organizations worldwide have introduced stricter regulations to promote sustainable land use.
The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is one such initiative, requiring companies to ensure that specific commodities placed on the EU market are not linked to deforestation or forest degradation.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has long been at the forefront of sustainable forestry, with over 150 million hectares of forest certified, covering approximately 80 countries. Its certification helps businesses source responsibly managed timber, ensuring legal compliance and sustainable practices.
While FSC certification aligns with many EUDR requirements, it does not automatically guarantee compliance, as additional due diligence measures—such as traceability verification and risk assessments—are required.
This article explores the relationship between FSC certification and EUDR compliance, clarifying their overlaps, differences, and the steps businesses must take to meet regulatory expectations.
EUDR vs. FSC – What’s Different and Where They Overlap
While the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification serve different purposes, they share common goals in promoting responsible sourcing and preventing deforestation.
The EUDR aims to eliminate deforestation-linked products from the EU market by requiring businesses to prove that their goods are legally produced and deforestation-free. It applies to several key commodities, including wood, soy, palm oil, cattle, coffee, cocoa, and rubber.
To comply, operators have to conduct thorough due diligence, which includes geolocation tracking, risk assessments, and submitting a Due Diligence Statement (DDS).
FSC certification, on the other hand, is a voluntary system promoting responsible forest management. It helps businesses meet sustainability commitments through three certification types:
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Forest Management Certification ensures forests are managed sustainably, protecting biodiversity and respecting Indigenous and workers' rights.
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Chain of Custody Certification tracks certified materials through the supply chain, maintaining traceability.
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FSC Controlled Wood Certification covers wood that meets minimum responsible sourcing standards.
Key FSC principles align with EUDR objectives, including legal compliance, community engagement, conservation value protection, and deforestation prevention. Because FSC certification includes traceability mechanisms and risk management tools, it supports businesses in demonstrating responsible sourcing.
However, FSC certification alone does not exempt companies from EUDR’s due diligence requirements. Additional verification, including geolocation tracking and legal compliance documentation, is necessary to fully meet regulatory obligations.
Both EUDR and FSC contribute to sustainable forest management, but their approaches differ. The EUDR enforces strict legal requirements to prevent deforestation, while FSC provides a framework for responsible sourcing. Businesses integrating FSC certification with robust EUDR-specific due diligence measures will be better positioned to maneuver through compliance challenges.
FSC certification strengthens supply chain responsibility, but full EUDR compliance requires additional verification and documentation.
How FSC Certification Supports Compliance with EUDR
FSC certification helps businesses align with EUDR requirements by promoting sustainable forest management, legal compliance, and ethical sourcing. However, while FSC standards support EUDR compliance, they do not replace the regulation’s mandatory due diligence and traceability requirements.
FSC certification requires compliance with local and international laws, ensuring that certified wood comes from legally managed forests. This aligns with EUDR’s focus on preventing illegal deforestation. However, companies still have to submit a Due Diligence Statement (DDS) to EUDR authorities, as FSC certification alone does not exempt them from this requirement.
Additionally, while FSC enforces sustainable harvesting practices to protect biodiversity and prevent forest degradation, EUDR mandates that companies prove no deforestation has occurred since December 31, 2020, a condition that FSC certification does not directly verify.
Beyond environmental sustainability, FSC certification promotes ethical and social responsibility through principles like free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) for Indigenous communities. This supports EUDR’s requirement for compliance with social laws, but businesses have to provide additional documentation proving adherence to local labor and human rights regulations.
FSC also ensures ethical labor practices, but still, companies have to conduct independent assessments to meet EUDR’s governance standards.
FSC certification supports EUDR goals but does not replace mandatory due diligence and traceability obligations.
Despite these alignments, FSC certification has limitations in meeting all EUDR compliance requirements, including:
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Geolocation Data Gaps: FSC’s Chain of Custody certification tracks timber through the supply chain but does not provide plot-level geolocation data, a requirement under EUDR.
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Due Diligence Statement Requirement: Even with FSC certification, businesses have to submit risk assessments, legality verification, and traceability data for full EUDR compliance.
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Risk of Non-FSC Sources: FSC does not monitor non-certified suppliers, so companies using mixed supply chains have to conduct additional checks to ensure full compliance.
These gaps mean that while FSC certification strengthens EUDR compliance efforts, companies have to implement supplementary measures to meet the regulation’s strict due diligence and traceability requirements.
FSC Tools and Initiatives to Support EUDR Compliance
FSC provides several tools and initiatives to help businesses align with EUDR requirements. These solutions improve due diligence, improve supply chain transparency, and reduce the compliance burden for FSC-certified companies.
The FSC Regulatory Module strengthens risk assessment protocols by offering an EUDR-aligned certification pathway. It requires additional documentation to meet EUDR due diligence standards, ensuring that FSC-certified businesses can demonstrate compliance more efficiently. By integrating these requirements into existing FSC certification processes, companies can streamline their regulatory efforts without duplicating work.
The FSC Risk Assessment Framework helps businesses analyze supply chain risks related to deforestation, legal concerns, and high-risk sourcing regions. This tool supports EUDR compliance by identifying potential threats, but companies still need to supplement it with geolocation tracking and legality verification systems to meet all regulatory demands.
For improved supply chain traceability, FSC has developed digital solutions such as FSC Blockchain Beta and FSC Trace. These tools allow businesses to:
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Track supply chains digitally, improving data accuracy and reporting.
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Improve EUDR compliance by ensuring traceability from source to market.
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Integrate with other verification systems to meet strict due diligence requirements.
By utilizing these tools, FSC-certified businesses can simplify compliance with EUDR while maintaining responsible sourcing practices.
Optimizing FSC-Certified Operations for EUDR Compliance with Pinja
Achieving EUDR compliance requires more than FSC certification. While FSC provides a solid foundation for responsible forest management, it does not cover all regulatory requirements, such as geolocation tracking and detailed due diligence reporting. To bridge this gap, businesses have to integrate digital tools that improve traceability, automate compliance reporting, and optimize operational efficiency.
Pinja’s Forest Industry Solutions support EUDR compliance by offering comprehensive management systems for wood procurement, harvesting, processing, and logistics. These solutions include:
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End-to-end traceability – Tracks wood supply chains from origin to final processing, ensuring compliance with EUDR’s deforestation-free sourcing requirements.
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Automated regulatory reporting – Simplifies compliance by generating necessary documentation and maintaining audit-ready records.
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Geolocation and risk assessment tools – Provide spatial data to verify sourcing locations and assess deforestation risks.
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ERP integration – Connects supply chain data with enterprise resource planning systems for real-time monitoring.
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Data-driven decision-making – Supports operational efficiency by analyzing resource use, logistics, and sustainability metrics.
Contact us to explore how our solutions can streamline compliance and operational workflows for your organization.
FAQ
What is FSC EUDR?
FSC EUDR refers to the relationship between Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification and the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). FSC certification supports responsible forestry, but EUDR requires additional due diligence, such as geolocation tracking and legal verification, to ensure wood products are deforestation-free and compliant with EU regulations.
What does FSC mean in wood?
FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council, a certification system ensuring that wood products come from responsibly managed forests. FSC-certified wood meets environmental, social, and economic sustainability criteria, promoting forest conservation and ethical sourcing while maintaining biodiversity and respecting Indigenous and workers' rights.
Is FSC wood good?
Yes, FSC-certified wood is considered sustainable and ethically sourced. It ensures responsible forest management, reduces environmental impact, and supports fair labor practices. Businesses using FSC wood can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, making it a preferred choice for eco-conscious consumers and companies complying with regulations like the EUDR.
What is EUDR?
The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is an EU law that prohibits the sale of products linked to deforestation. It requires companies to conduct due diligence, including geolocation tracking and legal compliance verification, to prove that wood, soy, palm oil, and other commodities are deforestation-free and sourced legally.
What does FSC 100% mean?
FSC 100% means that a product is made entirely from wood sourced from FSC-certified forests. It guarantees that every stage of production follows strict sustainability and ethical sourcing standards, ensuring no uncontrolled or non-certified materials are used.
