Timber Procurement Policy (TPP): prove legality and sustainability
Comply with the TPP and check documentary evidence to show that timber is legal and sustainable: for government procurers and suppliers.
How to prove your timber comes from a legal and sustainable source
Evidence of legality and sustainability can come in 2 forms – Category A and Category B.
Category A evidence
Third party, independent forest certification schemes, referred to as ‘Category A’ evidence under the timber procurement policy, provide a way of defining sustainable forest management, as well as verifying that a timber source meets the definition of sustainability.
Government procurers and their suppliers should have documentary evidence to show the timber supplied is, at a minimum, from legal and sustainable sources. This evidence should include full chain of custody from the forest sources to the end user.
Approved forest certification schemes provide this evidence of legal and/or sustainable timber. Suppliers and buyers must check the evidence to verify its validity. To do this, you can use the Checklist for checking category A evidence.
Approved schemes include:
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
- Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)
- Grown in Britain
Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) licensed timber is also accepted by the UK government as evidence of compliance with the TPP.
Review of Category A certification schemes
Forest certification schemes approved as ‘Category A evidence’ were reviewed in 2024/2025 to ensure that they provide evidence of compliance. Three schemes were put forward for the TPP Category A evidence certified scheme review: the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and Grown in Britain.
Defra commissioned Efeca to complete the review. An independent technical panel reviewed the evidence (communicating with the schemes throughout) before presenting their findings to Efeca, who prepared and presented a final report to Defra. Defra made a decision informed by the report in 2025.
Defra announced that all schemes scored highly overall and would be included in Category A of the Timber Procurement Policy. See the Category A Scheme Assessment Summary Report.
Both the Criteria for evaluating forest certification schemes (Category A evidence) and the Methodology for reviews of timber certification schemes (Category A evidence) were used to review the schemes.
Category B evidence
Category B is all forms of credible evidence other than certification schemes that indicate that the forest source meets the UK government’s criteria for sustainability and legality. This type of evidence can vary greatly and is judged on a case-by-case basis.
Government procurers and their suppliers should use the Framework for evaluating category B evidence to help with the provision and assessment of Category B evidence.
‘Broken chain of custody’ is when you purchase timber and timber products from a supplier who is not directly certified but who claims their supply is. You may be able to show that it meets the requirements for legality and sustainability by following the steps outlined in the practical guides and framework document.
It is important to understand that if you do have a break in the chain, and use credible Category B evidence to make the link between the certificate holder, your supplier and you, you can’t claim that certified products have been purchased. Any such claim would be a trademark infringement. Contact the relevant certification scheme for more information.
Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) licensed timber is also accepted by the UK government as evidence of compliance with the TPP.
Meeting TPP requirements: guidance for woodland owners in England
Timber traceable to a forest with a fully implemented forest management plan in line with the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) requirements and guidelines meets the UK government’s Timber Procurement Policy.
If your woodland is not certified through FSC, PEFC UK or Grown in Britain (Category A evidence), you may be able to demonstrate compliance with the UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS). If a woodland is assessed by either FSC, PEFC or Grown in Britain against the UKWAS, timber can be sold as certified.
Alternatively, you can meet the Category B evidence using the Forest source: checking category B evidence and if needed, the Forestry supply chain: check category B evidence guidance documents.
International timber regulations
EU Timber Regulation
The EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) puts obligations on businesses who trade in timber and timber related products. The National Measurement and Regulation Office is the UK’s Competent Authority.
Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT)
One of the aims of the EU’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan is to reduce illegal logging. A Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) is a legally binding trade agreement between the EU and a timber-producing country outside the EU.
The purpose of a VPA is to:
- ensure that timber and timber products exported to the EU come from legal sources
- help timber-exporting countries stop illegal logging by improving regulation and governance of the forest sector
FLEGT VPA licensed timber is accepted by the UK government as evidence of compliance with the TPP. Once a VPA partner country licensing scheme has been established, licensed timber and wood-derived products arriving in the EU from that country should be accompanied by the appropriate FLEGT-licence which will be checked at import. Adequate supply chain controls need to be in place from the point of import to the point of delivery to Contracting Authorities to demonstrate that the material being delivered was FLEGT-licensed.
Further information can be found on the official EC website and on the European Forest Institute (EFI) website.
Updates to this page
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The guidance has been updated. The content has been restructured to improve readability and accessibility. Removed the 'Checklist to show how to check certificates from forest certification scheme (Category A)' document and replaced this with a link to the 'Checklist for checking Category A evidence' in the 'Timber procurement advice note (TPAN)' document. Grown in Britain has been added to the list of Category A forest certification schemes.
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Defra is currently reviewing the UK government’s Timber Procurement Policy (TPP), including assessing certification schemes. Stakeholders can submit evidence of certification schemes’ compliance with the TPP until 30 March 2025.
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First published.