Help

• Getting access and support
• General rules
• Data deletion and protection rules
• User interface
• Normal procedures
• How to register a new operator
• General
• Forests
• Products
• Linked certificates/licences
• Contacts
• How to register a new certificate
• General
• Timeline
• Documents
• Linked operators
• Scope
• Contacts
• How to register a new PEFC trademarks licence
• General
• Timeline
• Documents
• Linked operators
• Contacts
• Controlling public visibility of certificates, licences and operators
• Accredition of certification bodies
• Notification of certification bodies
• Special procedures
• Registering non-certified PEFC trademarks licence holders
• Transfering a certificate to another certification body
• Transfering a certificate to another PEFC national governing body
• Registering a PEFC Chain of Custody project certificates
• Statistics
• Description of features
• Frequently asked questions
• Definitions
• Certificate numbering requirement
• Supporting documents and templates
• References

Getting access and support

Access for new users can be obtained by writing an email to PEFC International (data@pefc.org) and providing the contact details for the new user account: first name, last name, role and email address. Your login account is personal and your login details must not be shared with anyone else (i.e. no sharing of accounts between multiple people).

When you first receive access, you will have to define your password here:

• Password setup

You can then log in via:

• https://data.pefc.org/

If you have any questions, comments or would like to propose a new feature in the database:

• Check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section
• Post your questions on the Podio Questions & Answers form
• Post your requests for new features on the Podio New feature request form

General rules

Without a systematic way to start and keep data clean, bad data will happen.

The following rules must always be followed:

• Never delete non-personal data (see Data deletion and protection rules).
• Never enter fictional information (e.g. fake address, fake email, fake name, etc), except for temporary testing purposes.
• When completing any form, fill in all mandatory fields (indicated by the red asterisk).
• All information must always be correct (up-to-date) and complete, including for expired, terminated, withdrawn and suspended certificates and licences. Everytime you update a record (e.g. certificates, licences, operator, products, forests, etc) verify that all the information is correct (up-to-date) and complete.
• Only activate the public visibility (on the "Find Certified" search engine) of a record if you have checked that the information is correct (up-to-date) and complete.
• Expired, terminated, withdrawn and suspended certificates and licences must be visible on the "Find Certified" search engine.
• Whenever possible, provide additional non-mandatory information (e.g. documents, product origins, regions, etc).
• If you notice an error or something not working correctly, please report it to the PEFC International Technical Unit (data@pefc.org).

Data deletion and protection rules

Data in the database must never be deleted. Certificates and licences that are not valid anymore (i.e. expired, terminated, withdrawn) must be kept in the database, because they are needed for retroactive accountability and statistics.

The above rule means:

• Do not delete certificates.
• Do not delete licences.
• Do not delete operators.
• Do not delete products.
• Do not delete forests.
• Do not delete the list of operators in the "Certificates > Operators" or "Licences > operators" pages.
• Do not delete events in the "Certificates > Timeline" or "Licences > Timeline" pages.

The only exceptions are:

• You can delete records which contain errors that cannot be corrected.
• You can delete records that were created for testing purposes.
• Upon formal request of a certified or licenced operator, you can delete its personal contact information (first name, last name, email, telephone).

The following data protection procedures are applicable:

• 5 years after the certificate becomes invalid or upon formal request by an operator (i.e. expired, terminated, withdrawn), personal contact information (first name, last name, email, telephone) must be deleted or anonymised.

User interface

The side navigation menu (on the left) lists the following pages:

• Overview provides a quick way of viewing and controlling the links between certificates, licences and operators. It also provides the option to download a CSV/XLSX file with all records aggregated.
• Certificates is where you can view, edit and add certificates linked to your administration.
• Licences is where you can view, edit and add PEFC trademarks licences linked to your administration.
• Operators is where you can view, edit and add operators (e.g. companies, forest owners, organizations, etc) linked to your administration.
• Forests contains the full list of forests linked to your operators.
• Products contains the full list of products linked to your operators.
• Flora contains the current list of tree species.
• Procedures > Accreditations contains the full list of accreditation certificates.
• Procedures > Notifications contains the full list of notification contracts.
• Contacts contains the list of contact details linked to your operators.
• Documents contains the full list of PEFC documents (e.g. standards, guidance, etc).
• Help provides guidance on how to use the PEFC database.

The user menu (on the top right) lists the following pages:

• Profile is where you can view and edit your user profile information.
• Change password is where you can change your password.
• Logout is used to log out of the database.

The database has two types of pages: list pages and details pages.

List pages display a list of records (only summary fields) and allow you to add new records. They have the following layout:

Details pages display detailed information about a single record. Most details pages are split into subforms which you can access through the top tabs navigation menu. They have the following layout:

Normal procedures

Operator registration

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Operator / General

The general tab includes all the primary information (e.g. name, type, address, etc) about an operator.

See also

• List of operator features

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Operator / Forests

An operator can optionally be linked to one or multiple forests.

See also

• List of forest features

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Operator / Products

An operator can optionally be linked to one or multiple products. The scope of certified products is generally available on the PEFC reporting form and on the certificate's appendix.

See also:

• List of products features
• List of product origin features

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Operator / Linked certificates and licences

An operator can optionally be linked to one or multiple certificates and trademark licences. The certificate-licence-operator linkage works reciprocally, i.e. you can either link an operator to a certificate (from the operators > certificates/licences tab) or link a certificate to an operator (from the certificates > operators tab) or link a licence to an operator (from the licences > operators tab).

See also:

• Certificate / Linked operators

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Operator / Contacts

One or multiple contacts can optionally be added to an operator. Only a single contact per operator is displayed on the public search engine.

See also:

• List of contacts features

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Certificate registration

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Certificate / General

The General tab contains the primary information (e.g. number, type, issuing certification body, accreditation, etc) about a certificate.

The list of available certification bodies depends on:

• Accreditations (the current list is visible on the Procedures > Accreditations page).
• Notification contracts (the current list is visible on the Procedures > Notifications page).

Only certification bodies with both a verified accreditation and a notification contract will be visible in the list of options. If a certification body is missing, please report it to the PEFC International Technical Unit (data@pefc.org).

Several fields - such as the certificate holder and status - cannot be modified directly:

• To set the status of a certificate, you have to add events in the Timeline tab. The certificate status then changes automatically on the relevant event dates.
• To set the certificate holder, you have to add a holder in the Operators tab.

See also:

• List of certificates features

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Certificate / Timeline

The Timeline tab is a calendar in which you enter every significant formal event (e.g. audits, issuance, re-issuance, suspension, expiry, etc) based on what is written on the certificates and reporting form.

The timeline must include all certification events from the initial issuance date to the end of validity date (e.g. expiry, termination, withdrawal). The status has the following meaning:

Status	Meaning
Valid	When the certificate holder fulfills the certification requirements (i.e. conformity)
Suspended	When the certification body decides to temporarily cancel the certificate because the certificate holder does not fulfill the certification requirements (i.e. non-conformity)
Expired	When the certificate reaches its scheduled expiry date
Terminated	When the certificate holder decides to voluntarily cancel its certification
Withdrawn	When the certification body decides to permanently cancel the certificate because the certificate holder does not fulfill the certification requirements (i.e. non-conformity)

The status of the certificate changes automatically based on the timeline and the current date. For example, if you add an "Expiry" event for December 11 2024, on this date in the future the status of the certificate will change to "Expired" automatically.

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Certificate / Documents

The Documents tab allows you to attach various documents (e.g. certificate, audit report, reporting forms, etc) to a certificate.

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Certificate / Linked operators

A certificate can be linked to one or multiple operators. In the case of group certificates (e.g. CoC multi-site, CoC producer group, FM group), participants may join and exit the certificate independently from the main certificate timeline.

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Certificate / Scope

The Scope tab lists the products and forests linked to the operators that are included in the certificate. It is completed automatically when you link an operator to a certificate.

See also:

• Products
• Forests

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Certificate / Contacts

The Contacts tab lists the contacts linked to the operators that are included in the certificate. It is completed automatically when you link an operator to a certificate.

See also:

• Operators / Contacts
• List of Contacts features

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Trademarks licence registration

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Licence / General

The General tab contains the primary information (e.g. number, type, issuing national governing body, etc) about a trademarks licence.

The licence status cannot be modified directly. To set the status of a licence, you have to add events in the Timeline tab. The licence status then changes automatically on the relevant event dates.

See also:

• List of licence features
• Registering non-certified PEFC trademarks licence holders

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Licence / Timeline

The Timeline tab is a calendar in which you enter every significant formal event (e.g. issuance, re-issuance, suspension, expiry, etc) based on the trademarks usage contract.

The timeline must include all licensing events from the initial issuance date to the end of validity date (e.g. expiry, termination, withdrawal). The status has the following meaning:

Status	Meaning
Valid	When the licence holder fulfills the licencing requirements (i.e. conformity)
Suspended	When the certification body decides to temporarily cancel the licence because the licence holder does not fulfill the licencing requirements (i.e. non-conformity)
Expired	When the licence reaches its scheduled expiry date
Terminated	When the licence holder decides to voluntarily cancel its licence
Withdrawn	When the certifiction body or the PEFC Governing body decides to permanently cancel the licence because the licence holder does not fulfill the licencing requirements (i.e. non-conformity)

The status of the trademarks licence changes automatically based on the timeline and the current date. For example, if you add an "Expiry" event for December 11 2024, on this date in the future the status of the licence will change to "Expired" automatically.

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Licence / Documents

The Documents tab allows you to attach documents (e.g. tademarks licence contract) to a licence.

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Licence / Linked operators

An operator can optionally be linked to one or multiple trademarks licences. The licence-operator linkage works reciprocally, i.e. you can either link an operator to a licence (from the operators > licences tab) or link a licence to an operator (from the licences > operators tab).

See also:

• List of licences-operators features

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Licence / Contacts

The Contacts tab lists the contacts linked to the operators that are included in the trademarks licence. It is completed automatically when you link an operator to a licence.

See also:

• List of contact features

Controlling public visibility of certificates, licences and operators

You can change the public visibility of a record (i.e. combination of operator, certificate and/or licence) on the "Find Certified" search engine, either from the Overview page, from the Certificates > Operators tab, from the Licences > Operators tab or from the Operators > Certificates/Licences tab.

Accreditation of certification bodies

The list of accredited certification bodies and scopes can be consulted on the accreditations page. Certificates can only be added to the database when the relevant accreditation and notification have been registered in the database.

Notification of certification bodies

The list of notification contracts can be consulted on the notifications page. Certificates can only be added to the database when the relevant accreditation and notification have been registered in the database.

Special procedures

Statistics

Statistics about PEFC certification have been collected since early 2000. They are used to monitor changes and report on PEFC activity. The statistics page is divided into the following tabs:

• Certificates - displays the current counts of FM and COC certificates for all PEFC members
• Forest area - displays the current certified forest area (hectares) for all PEFC members
• Trends - displays the historical trends for the number of FM and CoC certificates and the certified forest area (hectares)

Certification statistics are automatically computed every quarter (on March 31, June 31, September 30, December 31) based on the values registered in the database. They are computed as follows:

• # SFM certificates - the count of valid chain of forest management certificates that have a valid certificate holder and linked forest(s)
• # COC certificates - the count of valid chain of custody certificates that have a valid certificate holder
• Area (ha) - the sum of forest areas linked to valid forest management certificates that have a valid certificate holder

You must verify each statistic and indicate if it is correct or not correct by following the procedure described below:

Description of features

Certificates > General

Name	Description	Format	Example
Certificate number	A single certificate number without spaces All participants in a group must use exactly the same certificate number	Free text	KAP-PEFC-COC-123455
Governing body	Name of the PEFC national governing body	Dropdown list	PEFC Switzerland
Certification body	Name of the accredited certification body issuing the certificate	Dropdown list	Bureau Veritas
Certificate holder	Name of the certificate holder	Automatic	TEX Wood S. A.
Status	Current status of the certificate	Automatic	Valid
Type	Certificate type	Dropdown	Chain of Custody
Subtype	Certificate subtype	Dropdown	Multi-site
Number of active participants	Number of active participants/sites (including certificate holder) covered by the certificate	Automatic	12
Certification system	Name of the PEFC endorsed certification system	Dropdown list	PEFC International - Chain of custody certification system
Certification system version	Name of the version PEFC endorsed certification system	Dropdown list	PEFC International - Chain of custody certification system, 2013
Accreditation	Certification body’s accreditation	Dropdown list	N. 5-0051 rév. 73
Scope summary	Summary of the certificate’s scope	Free text	Purchase, storage and sales of round wood, pulp wood, fuel wood and wood chips.
Turnover	Sum of the total turnover of all of the participants in the certificate (in the participants financial reporting currency) at the date of the last certificate (re)issuance Rounded to the nearest whole number	Free text	142000
Turnover currency	Currency in which the turnover is valued	Dropdown list	Euro (EUR)
Turnover reporting date	Date of the turnover reporting by the certification body	Date	12.08.2019
Visibility	Visibility on PEFC International’s website	Checkbox	Yes

Certificate > Timeline

Name	Description	Format	Example
Date	Date at which the event occured	Date	14.12.2022
Event	Type of certification event	Dropdown list	Expiry
Status	Status of the certificate	Cascading dropdown list	Expired
Note		Free text

Certificate > Linked operators

Name	Description	Format	Example
Certificate number	Certificate number	Automatic	KAP-PEFC-COC-123455
Operator	Operator name	Autocomplete list	TEX Wood S. A.
Role	The role of the operator: either "Certificate holder" or "Site/Member"	Dropdown list	Certificate holder
Subcertificate number	A single subcertificate number without spaces	Free text
Join date	Date at which the operator was officially affiliated with the certificate. Only to be filled if the date is different from the main timeline.	Date
Exit date	Date at which the operator was officially disaffiliated with the certificate. Only to be filled if the date is different from the main timeline.	Date
Operator status	The status of the operator linked to the certificate.	Dropdown list	Valid

Licence > General

Name	Description	Format	Example
Licence number	A single logo licence number that conforms with the format specified in PEFC GLI 4/2007 No spaces or other separators	Free text	PEFC/13-32-032
Governing body	Name of the PEFC authorised body	Dropdown list	PEFC Spain
Trademark	Name of the trademark	Dropdown list	PEFC
Status	Current status of the licence	Automatic	Valid
Type	Licence user group (A/B/C/D) according to PEFC GLI 4/2007	Dropdown list	C: Forest related industried
Subtype	Licence subtype	Dropdown list	1 - Individual certification
Linked certificate	Certificate that is linked to the PEFC trademarks licence	Dropdown list
Visibility	Visibility on PEFC International’s website	Checkbox	Yes

Licence > Timeline

Name	Description	Format	Example
Date	Date at which the event occured	Date	14.12.2022
Event	Type of event	Dropdown list	Expiry
Status	Status of the licence	Cascading dropdown list	Expired
Note		Free text

Licence > Linked operators

Name	Description	Format	Example
Licence number	Licence number	Automatic	PEFC/13-32-032
Operator	Operator name	Autocomplete list	Timber Max
Sublicence number	A single sublicence number without spaces	Free text
Join date	Date at which the operator was officially affiliated with the licence. Only to be filled if the date is different from the main timeline.	Date
Exit date	Date at which the operator was officially disaffiliated with the licence. Only to be filled if the date is different from the main timeline.	Date
Operator status	The status of the operator linked to the licence	Dropdown list	Valid

Operator > General

Name	Description	Format	Example
Legal type	Type of legal entity: Legal person Natural person	Dropdown list	Legal person
Name	Legal name of the operator Do not fully capitalise the name, unless this format is officially used by the company The name may include a business suffix (e.g. Inc., SA, GmbH, etc)	Free text	TEX Wood S. A.
Name (alternative)	Alternative name of the operator	Free text
Abbreviation	Abbreviation	Free text
Activity	Industry in which the operator is active	Dropdown list	Wood trading
Registration number	Official registration number of the organization/company	Free text
VAT identification number	VAT identification number	Free text
Address type	Type of address: Physical address Mailing address (P.O. Box)	Dropdown list	Physical address
Street	Company street name and number	Free text	Langstrasse 1
Postal code	Postal code (may be prepended with country abbreviation)	Free text	CH-8004
City	Full name of the city where the operator is physically located	Free text	Zürich
Country	Country where the operator is physically located	Dropdown list	Switzerland
Region	Region/state where the operator is physically located	Cascading dropdown list	Zürich
Description	Description of the operator	Free text
Website	A valid company website (no dead link) The address must start with the "http://" or "https://" sequence	Free text	http://www.texwood.com
Comment	Comment	Free text

Contacts

Name	Description	Format	Example
First name	First name of the contact	Free text	Jane
Last name	Last name of the contact	Free text	Doe
Role	Role of the contact.	Free text	Sustainability manager
Email	A valid contact email.	Email	jane.doe@company.com
Telephone	Telephone number including country dial code (E164 format).	Telephone (E164)	+41211234567
Public	Indicator if the contact can be displayed publicly.	Checkbox	No

Forests

Name	Description	Format	Example
ID	Unique alphanumeric identifier code.	Automatic	F-R2C3PO
Certificate	Certificate number linked to the forest.	Autocomplete list	SGS-PEFC-FM-123789
Operator	Name of the operator linked to the forest.	Dropdown	Andreas Müller
Location name	Name of the forest location.	Free text	Tân Hiệp
Country	Country where the forest is located.	Dropdown list	Vietnam
Region	Subnational region/state where the forest is located.	Cascading dropdown list	Bình Long
Area [ha]	Area of the certified forest in hectares.	Numeric	120.3
Longitude of center	Longitude (-180° West to 180° East) of the center of the forest plot in decimal degrees rounded to the 6th decimal place.	Numeric	106.548532
Latitude of center	Latitude (-90° South to 90° North) of the center of the forest plot in decimal degrees rounded to the 6th decimal place.	Numeric	11.5654350

Products

Name	Description	Format	Example
ID	Unique alphanumeric identifier code.	Automatic	P-C3POR2
Certificate	Certificate number linked to the product.	Autocomplete list	BV-PEFC-COC-123789
Operator	Name of the operator linked to the product.	Dropdown	Holz Gmbh
Chain of custody method(s)	Chain of custody method used in the production process of the specific product group according to the predefined list	Multi-select list	Physical separation
PEFC claim(s)	PEFC claim(s) used in the production process of the specific product group according to the predefined list	Multi-select list	X% PEFC certififed
Recycled content	Indicates if the product has any recycled content	Dropdown	No
Level 1 product category	The level 1 product category as defined in PEFC's product categories list.	Dropdown list	09000 - Exterior products
Level 2 product category	The level 2 product category as defined in PEFC's product categories list.	Cascading dropdown list	09020 - Garden Furnitures/Outdoor Products
Level 3 product category	The level 3 product category as defined in PEFC's product categories list.	Cascading dropdown list	09022 - Playground equipment
Description	Description of the product	Free text	Children's playground equipment
Validity start	Date at which the product started being certified	Date	12.11.2020
Validity end	Date at which the product stopped being certified	Date
Active	Indicator if the product is active	Checkbox	Yes

Products > Origin

Name	Description	Format	Example
Tree species	Scientific name of the species used in the product.	Autocomplete list	Abies Alba
Country of origin	Country of origin of the material.	Dropdown list	Poland
State/Region of origin	Subnational region of origin of the material.	Cascading dropdown list	Lublin
Start date	Date at which the origin started to be active.	Date	09.06.2020
End date	Date at which the origin stopped to be active.	Date
Active	Indicator if the origin is still used in the product.	Checkbox	Yes

Frequently asked questions

How do I add a coworker to my user group?

If you want to add a new coworker to your user group, please contact PEFC International (data@pefc.org) and provide contact details necessary for the creation of a new user account: first name, last name, role and email address.

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Can I share my account with someone else?

No, your account is personal and your login details shall not be shared with anyone else.

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I am no longer in charge of the database management, what do I do with my account?

If you are no longer managing the database, please inform PEFC International which will close your account.

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When do I have to update the information of a certificate, licence or operator?

Anytime changes are communicated by a certification body, the changes must be updated in the PEFC database.

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How do I change the status of a certificate/licence?

Go to the Timeline tab on the certificate's or licence's details page and add the relevant event (e.g. re-issuance, expiry, suspension start, etc). The status of the certificate/licence will change automatically on the specified event date.

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I have set the operator visiblity to public, but it doesn't appear on the "Find Certified" search engine.

See the section on controlling public visibility of certificates, licences and operators.

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There is a missing certification body in the dropdown list on the certificates page. What can I do?

Check the list of notification contracts and accreditations. If you cannot see the missing certification body anywhere or if either the notification contract or the accreditation is not listed, please contact the PEFC Technical unit, so it can be verified and added to the list.

Definitions

Non-certified entity

Non-certified entities are not eligible to be PEFC certified, but they may use the PEFC trademarks for promotional and communication purposes. Examples of non-certified entities include: non-governmental organisations, media and educational/academic organisations.

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Operator

Certified or non-certified natural or legal person holding a PEFC certificate and/or a PEFC Trademarks usage licence.

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PEFC National Governing Bodies (NGB)

The PEFC National Governing Bodies (PEFC NGBs) are independent, national organisations established to develop and implement a PEFC forest certification system within their country. A list of the PEFC NGBs and their contact details can be found at the PEFC website, www.treee.es/pefcnationalmembers. PEFC NGBs are often also the “PEFC authorised body”.

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PEFC recognised certificate

1. A valid accredited forest management certificate issued by a PEFC notified certification body against a forest management system/standard that is endorsed by the PEFC Council.
2. A valid accredited chain of custody certificate issued by a PEFC notified certification body against the PEFC International Chain of Custody standard or another chain of custody standard that is endorsed by the PEFC Council.

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PEFC Trademarks usage licence

The PEFC trademarks usage licence gives right to the licence holder to use the PEFC trademarks in accordance with PEFC ST 2001, Trademarks Rules – Requirements and to the PEFC trademarks usage contract.

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Status - Terminated

A certificate is terminated when a company decides voluntarily to cancel its certification.

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Status - Withdrawn

A certificate is withdrawn when the certification body decides on the “revocation or cancellation of the statement of conformity” (ISO/IEC 17000). This means the certificate holder does not fulfil the certification requirements anymore.

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Status - Suspended

Suspension is always a temporary certification status. Under suspension, the certification is temporarily invalid.

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Total turnover

The sum of the overall turnover as defined in a company’s total revenues and would include gross revenues or total sales. The total turnover value is determined on the date of the last certificate (re)issuance.

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User group

A group of database users having the same operational scope. There are two kinds of user groups: national governing bodies and certification bodies.

Certificate numbering requirements

Chain of Custody certificates issued according to PEFC ST 2002:2020 require the use of a fixed certificate coding pattern that contains four pieces of information:

1. The abbreviation of the certification body.
2. The abbreviation of the certificate type.
3. The numeric identification of the certified entity.
4. Optionally, the numeric identification of the site for multi-site and producer group certificates.

In addition to the general requirements outlined in PEFC ST 2003:2020 section 7.7.4, the certificate numbers must also conform to the following pattern:

Where:

• "AAAAA" is a variable length upper-case abbreviation of the certification body that issued the certificate. It only contains uppercase English alphabet characters (A-Z) without any spacing. The unique abbreviation is defined by PEFC International.
• "CC" is the optional ISO 3166 Alpha 2 country code used to differentiate national certification body offices from their central office. This differentiation is only used for offices that work under separate accreditations.
• "PEFC-COC" indicates that the certificate follows the PEFC Chain of Custody (COC) standard.
• "######" is the variable length unique numeric identification of the certified entity. The numeric identification pattern must be self-consistent for all certificates issued by a given certification body.
• "(-#)" is the optional variable length numeric identification of the site (sub-certificate number for multi-site and producer group certification). The identification must be unique for each site. The numeric identification pattern must be self-consistent for all sub-certificates issued by a given certification body.

Examples:

Certificate n°:

• CU-PEFC-COC-0342

Subcertificate n°:

• CU-PEFC-COC-0342-1
• CU-PEFC-COC-0342-2

Supporting documents and templates

References

• PEFC ST 2002:2020, Chain of Custody of Forest and Tree Based Products - Requirements
• PEFC ST 2001:2020, PEFC Trademarks Rules - Requirements
• PEFC GD 1004, Administration of PEFC Scheme
• PEFC GD 1008, PEFC Information and Registration System - Data Requirements
• PEFC GLI 4/2007, PEFC Coding System
• PEFC Product categories, version 24.01.2022