FSC® Chain of Custody: consultancy, internal audit and training

Any company that buys certified products, processes or trades them and wants to sell them with FSC claims. Companies that only resell finished, labelled products without opening or altering them usually do not need their own certificate.

It depends on the size and starting point of the company. For an industrial SME, implementation takes around 8 weeks of work, from the initial diagnosis to the internal audit. The date of the external audit depends on the certification body.

No. The certification audit is always carried out by an independent certification body accredited for the purpose. The internal audit prepares the company for the external audit, working as a rehearsal and identifying deviations that could otherwise be raised as nonconformities in the certification audit.

Not on its own. Certification can support due diligence but does not replace the operator’s obligations. I can help you understand what applies to your case.

The certificate is valid for five years, with annual surveillance audits.

It is the standard that sets the requirements for sourcing FSC Controlled Wood. It requires a due diligence system that assesses the risk of origin and excludes unacceptable sources, such as illegal wood or wood from forests converted to other uses. It allows FSC-certified material and controlled wood to be combined in FSC Mix products.

Not necessarily. FSC-STD-40-003 allows a multi-site certificate, with a central office that manages the system and participating sites. The certification body audits the central office and a sample of the sites.

FSC-STD-40-006 allows a specific project, such as a work of art, an object or a building, that incorporates FSC materials to be certified. FSC-STD-40-007 defines when a material can be considered reclaimed and what evidence is required for its incorporation into FSC-certified products.

It is the standard that governs the use of the FSC trademarks by certificate holders: logo, labels and claims. Version 3-0 has been in force since 1 July 2026, with a transition period for certificate holders. I help review labels, promotional material and the trademark approval process in place in the company.