Wednesday, December 31, 2025
A pivotal accomplishment for the European wood and panel industries occurred when the European Union officially authorised a 12-month deferral of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The deadline for large and medium-sized operators to complete the required due diligence frameworks is December 30, 2026. For the chipboard industry—a sector deeply integrated into global furniture and construction supply chains—this delay provides a critical window to fine-tune digital traceability. However, for industry pioneers like Koskisen Corporation, the delay is not an excuse to pause, but rather an opportunity to perfect the systems that already underpin their “Woodwise” philosophy.
The revised regulation introduces a “first-placer” responsibility model. In the future, only the company that places a relevant product on the EU market for the first time will be tasked with providing the comprehensive Due Diligence Statement (DDS). This simplification aims to reduce the administrative burden on downstream retailers while ensuring that the origin of every wood chip remains transparent.
Headquartered in Järvelä, Finland, Koskisen has long anticipated the shift toward absolute traceability. The company’s chipboard production—marketed under the KoskiPan brand—is already aligned with the core spirit of the EUDR.
Koskisen’s raw materials are sourced primarily from private forest owners in Finland, governed by strict PEFC and FSC® Chain of Custody certifications. The company has confirmed that its operations do not involve deforestation or forest degradation as defined by the new EU standards. Their products are manufactured from side streams of their own sawmills and plywood mills, ensuring a closed-loop system where every fiber is accounted for.
To comply with the EUDR, companies must generate reference numbers via the EU’s TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System). While these specific numbers cannot yet be issued due to the EU’s ongoing IT development, Koskisen is already:
Beyond mere compliance, Koskisen is redefining the chipboard category through circular economy initiatives. In 2025, the company successfully piloted a recycled wood cleaning process—the first of its kind in Finland.
By utilizing discarded wooden packaging, such as pallets, Koskisen has developed a unique treatment that allows recycled fibers to match the quality of virgin wood. This is a significant move for EUDR readiness, as recycled materials often present the most complex traceability challenges.
“Even our standard chipboard is a great circular economy product, made from side streams,” says Tom-Peter Helenius, Director of Panel Industry at Koskisen. “By increasing the share of recycled wood, we extend the life cycle of materials and sequester carbon for decades.”
For large operators in the wood panel sector, the transition to the 2026 deadline requires a three-step compliance strategy:
Koskisen’s commitment to transparency is further evidenced by its adoption of DesignEPD. This proactive approach integrates Environmental Product Declarations directly into the design phase, allowing furniture manufacturers and builders to see the carbon footprint of their chipboard choices before production even begins.
As the industry moves toward the December 2026 deadline, the focus will shift from “if” a product is compliant to “how efficiently” that compliance can be proven. For Koskisen, the groundwork is already laid, ensuring that their chipboard remains a staple of the sustainable bio-economy.
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Tags: deforestation-free wood products, EU TRACES system, EUDR delay 2026, koskisen chipboard, recycled wood chipboard, sustainable particleboard Finland, timber due diligence
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