~ by Andrew Fennell, Vice-President of Finance
At Friesens, we have long upheld a commitment to environmental responsibility by sourcing paper from responsibly managed forests for the production of books and school yearbooks.
As part of this commitment, Friesens has maintained FSC® Chain of Custody (COC) certification since 2004. We continue to participate in the FSC COC certification program and undergo annual audits to ensure compliance with FSC standards, most recently in March 2025, under the FSC-STD-40-004 v3-1 standard.
In response to the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), we are actively engaging with our paper suppliers to determine their readiness to provide the data required for compliance by the December 31, 2025 deadline. Supplier responses have varied—from full confidence in meeting the requirements to indications that some may not be ready by year-end.
While many mills are still in the early stages of EUDR-related data collection, several have begun implementing software solutions or testing systems to support compliance. At Friesens, we are proactively developing an internal tracking method to document paper usage at the roll and sheet level. This system is expected to launch in early Q4 2025 and will support our ability to meet EUDR reporting requirements.
We remain committed to building a robust process for data collection and provision, ensuring that Friesens is fully prepared to comply with EUDR regulations by the end of 2025.
