Statement on SBP approval process for BM Trada Certification Ltd

The Certification Body, BM TRADA Certification Ltd, was accepted as an applicant for ‘SBP-approved Certification Body’ status in November 2014.

It is an SBP requirement that a reduction in scope or suspension of a relevant accreditation, such as for FSC® or PEFC, by another accreditation body leads to the suspension of an SBP approval.

On 25 September 2015, Accreditation Services International (ASI) announced a suspension of BM TRADA Certification Ltd’s accreditation to undertake FSC® Chain of Custody certification in Latvia, Germany, Lithuania, Finland, Belarus, Estonia and Russia.

Consequently, BM TRADA Certification Ltd no longer meets SBP’s requirements and the SBP approval process has been suspended.

SBP welcomes announcement of Europe’s first biomass producer certification

SBP has today welcomed news of Europe’s first Biomass Producer certification. NEPCon, an SBP-approved Certification Body, has announced that it has certified Latvian pellet producer, SBE Latvia.

The SBP certificate issued to SBE Latvia covers the use of FSC®-certified feedstock only. SBE Latvia also holds FSC® Chain of Custody certification.

Commenting on the certification of SBE Latvia, Peter Wilson, Executive Director of SBP, said: “We welcome news of SBE Latvia’s certification. The use of FSC®-certified feedstock has played a key role in enabling the Biomass Producer to meet SBP’s sustainability requirements and has facilitated its route to SBP certification”.

Under the SBP Framework the Biomass Producer, typically a pellet or woodchip mill, is the first point of certification. The Biomass Producer is assessed for compliance with the SBP requirements, specifically that the feedstock it uses, for example, roundwood, sawdust and/or wood chips, is compliant with SBP requirements – essentially that it is sourced both legally and sustainably.

That assessment must be carried out by an independent, third-party Certification Body. A Biomass Producer that satisfactorily demonstrates compliance receives a certificate and is entitled to make the claim that the biomass it produces is SBP-compliant.