Terms of Reference relating to the adaptation of the OLB Forestry Companies and Chain of Custody certification standards to the requirements of the EUDR

1. Background and rational

Since 2013, operators who place or import timber and derived products on the market have been required to comply with the requirements of the European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR), which aims to exclude illegally harvested timber from the

international timber market. According to the FAO (2020), 420 million hectares of forest will be lost globally between 1990 and 2020 and it is estimated that consumption in the European Union accounts for around 10% of this deforestation.

In order to minimise the European Union's contribution to deforestation and forest degradation, the Council of the European Union adopted the text of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) to replace the EUTR. With the EUDR, we are witnessing a change of scale beyond the fight against illegality. While the EUTR only

covered timber, the EUDR has expanded the list of products to include beef, palm oil, soy, coffee, cocoa, rubber, and timber, and some of their derivatives. Deforestation is a global issue that is addressed in legislation outside the European Union, including the UK's Environmental Act and the US Forestry Act.

The Origin and Legality of Timber (OLB) certification is recognized in the EUTR requirements verification system, with a view to ensuring due diligence in compliance with legal requirements. It covers the requirements for compliance with legal requirements on forest management standards, environmental management, and the social aspect (workers' rights and safety, respect for community rights) in the countries of production and the traceability of wood products.

Bureau Veritas has not been left out of developments aimed at adapting to the issues and challenges of nature conservation. In this context, an initiative is underway to upgrade the OLB certification system in such a way as to meet the needs of all stakeholders in a timely manner in both the countries of production and the countries of destination.

2. Objectives

General Objective: Adapt OLB certification standards with the new requirements set out in the EUDR in the fight against illegal logging, deforestation, and forest degradation.

Specific objectives:

• Integrate the requirements for the fight against illegal timber into OLB forest management and chain of custody standards.
• Integrate requirements relating to the fight against deforestation into OLB standards for sustainable management and chain of custody.
• Integrate requirements relating to the fight against forest degradation into OLB standards for sustainable management and chain of custody.
• Review feedback from consultation with interested stakeholders on proposed changes to OLB certification requirements.
• Ensure that the changes made are in a form that is understandable.

3. Expected outcomes

• Revised OLB Frameworks include considerations to minimise the risks of illegal timber
• The revised OLB Frameworks will incorporate the considerations for combating deforestation as set out by the EUDR
• The revised OLB frameworks incorporate the EUDR's considerations for addressing forest degradation.
• Relevant stakeholder feedback is reflected in the revised OLB Frameworks.

4. Methodology

The methodology of the work will consist of

• Review of existing documentation related to OLB frameworks and EUDR requirements and policies.
• Interviews with various stakeholders, including the heads of Bureau Veritas and the European Union
• Consultation with stakeholders interested in the OLB certification scheme.

5. Target group and participation

This includes forest sector operators in producing countries, traders of wood products, competent authorities responsible for inspection in producing and destination countries, the Commission of the European Union and civil society actors.

6. Timeline

The activities will take place in two (2) phases:

Phase 1: Conducting the evaluation + Presentation of the draft and collection of opinions.

Phase 2: Consolidation of stakeholder feedback + Presentation and Submission of the final document

7. The budget

The budget mobilised for the implementation of this project is 8,000 euros, spread over 20 working days (see detailed timetable).

8. Monitoring and evaluation

The consultant will provide Bureau Veritas with the reference database (documents, websites, people consulted, etc.) that has enabled the OLB repositories to be updated. Bureau Veritas reserves the right to verify, on a sample basis, the effectiveness of the information taken into account.

In order to ensure a good understanding of the requirements, a public consultation with various stakeholders will be carried out, as well as a audit test to ensure that the points introduced as part of the update of the standards can be audited.

9. Eligibility

Any design office with one or more experts who meet the following conditions is eligible to participate:

• Have a higher level of education (minimum Bac +4) in forestry, social and/or environmental sciences.
• Have at least 15 years experience in the forestry sector.
• Have a good knowledge of OLB, forest management and chain of custody standards.
• Have a good knowledge of RDUE requirements and be aware of the various developments.
• Have at least 5 years of experience as an audit manager for forest legality, sustainability and chain of custody certifications.
• Experience in developing conformity assessment standards.

10. Deadline for eligibility

Applications will be accepted until 25 April 2024. Candidates expressing an interest must send a file to the contact: christele.mafogang@bureauveritas.com, including:

• Current tax file
• Technical and financial file, including updated curriculum vitae and documents proving the characteristics mentioned in point 9.

Download the terms of reference