林业监控计划
森林执法及贸易简化要求采取有效可靠的检验，确保公司能一贯地遵守法律规定。SGS能独立地在林业与木材贸易中监控贸易活动并检验其合法性。
政府也许会委托公共/私人合伙企业来执行一些选定功能，用以确保林业法律法规能得以遵循。SGS能在强制或自愿的基础上帮助执行国家或地区合法木材认证计划。为公司发展与业绩寻求国际认可的林业公司，同样可以自愿向SGS寻求独立的木材合法性与追溯性认证。
强制性合法木材认证（MLTV）
“强制性国家级”方法：这是一项对木材生产与跟踪信息执行持续监控与检验的国家计划。
自愿性合法木材认证（VLTV）
“自愿性国家级”方法：这是一项对木材生产与跟踪信息倡导持续监控与检验的国家计划。
木材合法性与追溯性认证（TLTV）
“自愿性公司级”方法：在任何国家计划外，对公司的木材生产与跟踪信息进行定期审查或持续监控与检验。

强制性合法木材认证（MLTV）
强制性合法木材认证（MLTV）是一项关于SGS合法木材独立检验（IVLT）服务的“强制性国家级”方法。
MLTV作为一项国家计划，专用于执行实施一项关于木材生产与跟踪信息及任何进口商品的持续监控与检验计划。它包括在政府与SGS之间创建长期运作合伙关系，而SGS的作用就是作为一个国际性的、可靠而又独立的检验方。
MLTV能提供有效而又可靠的检验，使整个国家或省份的所有公司都能持续符合特殊法律规定。为达到这一目的，MLTV特别推出以下一整套认证服务：

• 合法产地检验（VLO）：对于诸如制造权、所有权链、完税及生产额度的检验，显示原木与木材制品都是合法取材的。
• 合法性检验（VLC）： 对木材生产商符合所有相关国家法律包括与森林管理计划、土地管理及森林开发的法律的评估，显示原木与木材制品都是合法生产的。

由于对非法砍伐与管理不善等问题越来越关注，进口国专为拒绝非法木材制品准入而制定了各项措施；MLTV因而采用了支持贸易简化的措施：MLTV发布了声明，为那些接受VLO和VLC系列标准的木材运输业务授予正式认证的出口许可。这些要求会随着逐步实施而更加严格。最终该系统也能同样适用于国内市场。而在MLTV监控下的国家或地区的整体生产都将被视为合法。
从1995年起，SGS已成功在非洲、亚洲及拉丁美洲的许多国家实施了独立监控与检验计划。这些现行的计划具备展开更全面的MLTV框架的潜力。
MLTV的关键业务活动：

• 木材流程管理：木材流程管理贯穿于产品与文件的跟踪与实查之中，须使用先进的技术来鉴别与监控木材产品的国内、进口/运输及出口流程。
• 森林管理审查与监控：使用成文的和实地检查，调查在合法砍伐区资源管理是如何计划，并且管理计划是如何实行的。
• 土地使用管理与森林监督：以GIS为基础，通过遥感成像与地面检查收集资料并运用，以监控土地覆盖或占用变化，并根据土地使用计划对其进行检验。

自愿性合法木材认证（VLTV）
自愿性合法木材认证（VLTV）是一项关于SGS合法木材独立检验（IVLT）服务业务的“自愿性国家级”方法。
通过一项国家/地区政府批准的计划，VLTV提出了对木材制品与跟踪信息的持续监控与检验计划。它将个别木材公司的自愿的计划与相关政府机构的支持结合起来。当强制性LTV计划的实施面临着政治、法律或制度困难时，VLTV提供了另一种选择。它同样能满足双边/多边贸易协议（如已提议的欧盟FLEGT自愿性合伙协议）的要求。VLTV有可能发展成为按照这些协议为所有的木材出口提供认证的强制性框架。
按照VLTV开展的合法木材检验系统将会产生独立发布的、以木材砍伐与木材跟踪及资料监控与合法性验证检查相结合的检验报告及声明。一个由SGS建立并直接管理的独立代理人将独立于政府进行运作，以确保与相关政府主体与其它主要受益方形成有效的界面及协作。
由SGS开发的一般合法产地（LO）与法律符合性（LC）原则，将为VLTV提供基本的规定。根据VLTV对木材制品进行“合法性”认证的过程包括下述四要素：

1. 公司（木材砍伐、木材加工或木材贸易公司）；
2. 该公司的生产或经营场所；
3. 该公司在上述场所从事的活动（如砍伐、加工或贸易）；及
4. 产品本身。

当上述四要素能一贯符合VLTV计划的所有有效要求时，将会发布一项VLTV声明。关于出口，该声明将由主管部门或其代理人批准，并可能以销售/出口许可的形式来满足出口市场的需求。
不管公司采用何种系统，VLTV都可以通过对检验与监控的风险管理方法及对整个销售链的砍伐/木材制品的追溯性的测试而得以巩固。计算机联网的系统将会极大地简化从库存、年度许可证、生产记录及运输或海运文件等之间大量的协调运作。砍伐/木材逐个跟踪同样可以把产品的完全追溯到一个合法的来源，“按一个按钮”就可以发现是否合法。当牵涉到秘密的商业信息时，VLTV将会使用一个机制来将“产销监管链”的各个连续部分相连接起来：通过一个逐步的进程来记录任何产品的流动，状态的改变或销售，对符合上述规定的，给与更新初始VLTV声明，或给新的合格业主提供初始VLTV声明。
木材合法性与追溯性检验（TLTV）
木材采购政策的发布，表明了经过特定SFM认证的产品具有采购的优先选择权，并且它的实行与影响已受到了国际市场上认证材料紧缺的挑战。这些政策经常修订，以便能运用上各种逐步执行的方法，拓宽合法与可持续发展木材的可接受证明，并要求这些木材产品能够得到独立的检验或认证，以取得“合法”、“可持续性合法加工”或“可持续性”。这些程序日益表明合法性是第一要求。
.木材合法性与追溯性检验（TLTV）是SGS对于有关于森林与木材产品工业及贸易方面的已定规定的符合性检验概念的延伸。与强制性及自愿性合法木材认证相比，TLTV能提供“自愿性公司级”方法，该方法能在任何国家计划外把公司的木材生产与跟踪信息的定期审查或持续监控与检验结合起来。
TLTV可能包括下述系列业务：

1. 关于砍伐/木材生产与跟踪信息的检验---包括在合法森林特许权从树桩到港口的木材跟踪系统的检查。
2. 公司资料的审查及指定的合法性的调查与检查。
3. 资料监控与处理，信息分析与报告。

这些过程的实行对于可靠的检验与分析资料是十分必要的，因而检验声明单的发布将具有很高的可信度。这些活动的开发视乎公司本身的销售链与内部管理系统的性质。
实行TLTV对于森林工业公司遵守未来贸易法规或是得到官方认可来说可能是不够的，但它能帮助公司显示其良好的管理方式，打入受限制进口国家的市场，并制定更高要求的计划，包括强制合法木材认证或可持续性森林管理认证。它同样可以通过勤勉原则来显示公司与国家权威机构及金融机构的合法性。
技术信息：
合法木材独立检验
概念介绍

木材流程管理：原木跟踪系统与技术

Forestry Monitoring Programme
Forest law enforcement and trade facilitation require efficient and reliable verification that companies consistently comply with legal requirements. SGS has the capacity to independently monitor activities and to verify legal compliance within the forest and timber trade sector.
Governments may outsource the execution of selected functions through public/private partnerships, to ensure that forest laws and regulations are being followed. SGS can help implement national or regional legal timber validation programmes, either on a mandatory or a voluntary basis. Forest sector companies seeking international recognition for their progress and achievements can also call on SGS voluntarily for independent verification of the legality and traceability of timber.
Mandatory Legal Timber Validation (MLTV)
The “compulsory, country level” approach: a national scheme enforcing a programme of continuous monitoring and verification of wood production and tracking information
Voluntary Legal Timber Validation (VLTV)
The “voluntary, country level” approach: a national scheme proposing a programme of continuous monitoring and verification of wood production and tracking information
Timber Legality and Traceability Verification (TLTV)
The “voluntary, company level” approach: regular auditing, or continuous monitoring and verification of a company’s wood production and tracking information, outside any national scheme

Mandatory Legal Timber Validation (MLTV)
Mandatory Legal Timber Validation (MLTV) is the “compulsory, country level” approach to SGS’s portfolio of Independent Verification of Legal Timber (IVLT) services.
MLTV is designed for implementation as a national scheme enforcing a programme of continuous monitoring and verification of wood production and tracking information, also capturing any imports. It involves the creation of a long-term operational partnership between the government and SGS as an internationally credible independent verifier.
MLTV provides efficient and reliable verification that all companies, across a whole country or province, consistently comply with specific legal requirements. To achieve this, MLTV incorporates a tailored combination of the following elements:

• Verification of Legal Origin (VLO): verification of e.g. production rights, chain of ownership, tax payments and adherence to production quotas, to demonstrate that logs and timber products have been legally sourced.
• Verification of Legal Compliance (VLC): assessment of the timber producer for compliance with all relevant national legislation, including laws relating to forest management planning, land management and forest exploitation, to demonstrate that logs and timber products have been legally produced.

As the issue of illegal logging and poor management is increasingly being addressed in importing countries by measures designed to deny market access to illegal forest products, MLTV supports trade facilitation: MLTV Statements are issued and officially validated Export Permits are granted to consignments of timber that meet the criteria of agreed VLO and VLC modules. The requirements may be tightened as MLTV is gradually implemented. Eventually the system can be applied to the domestic market as well. The entire production of a country or region monitored under MLTV can be deemed legal.
Since 1995, SGS has been successfully running independent monitoring and verification programmes in a number of African, Asian and Latin American countries. These existing programmes have a potential to evolve towards a more comprehensive MLTV framework.
Key activities of MLTV:

• Timber Flow Control consists in the tracking and physical inspection of products and documents, using advanced technology to identify and monitor the domestic, import/transit and export flows of forest products.
• Forest Management Auditing & Monitoring uses documentary and field checks to investigate how resource management is planned and how management plans are being implemented in legitimate logging areas.
• Land Use Control & Forest Surveillance is a GIS-based work in which data from remote sensing imagery and ground verification is collected and interpreted to monitor changes in land cover or occupation, and verify them against planned land use.

Voluntary Legal Timber Validation (VLTV)
Voluntary Legal Timber Validation (VLTV) is the “voluntary, country level” approach to SGS’s portfolio of Independent Verification of Legal Timber (IVLT) services.
Through a scheme endorsed by the national/ regional Government, VLTV proposes a programme of continuous monitoring and verification of timber production and tracking information. It combines voluntary initiative by individual forest companies, and support from relevant authorities. VLTV provides an alternative where enforcement of a mandatory LTV programme would face political, legal or institutional difficulties. It may also meet the requirements of bilateral/ multilateral trade agreements (e.g. proposed EU FLEGT Voluntary Partnership Agreements). VLTV has a potential to evolve towards a mandatory framework for the licensing of all timber exports under such agreements.
The legal timber verification system deployed under VLTV results in verification reports and statements being independently issued, relying on a combination of log and timber tracking, data monitoring and legality verification checks. A separate agency is created and managed directly by SGS, operating independently of government while ensuring an effective interface and collaboration with relevant government bodies and other key stakeholders.  
Generic Legal Origin (LO) and Legal Compliance (LC) principles developed by SGS provide the basic requirements for VLTV. The process, leading to the ‘’legality’ validation of given timber products under VLTV covers four distinct elements:

• the company (a forest logging, a timber processing, or a timber trading company);
• the production or operational site of the company;
• the activities carried out by the company on that site (i.e. logging, processing or trading); and
• the products themselves.

A VLTV Statement is issued when the four elements consistently meet all the requirements in force under the VLTV Programme. For export, the Statement could be validated by, or on behalf of the competent authorities, possibly in the form of a sale/export permit designed to meet export market requirements.
Regardless of the systems employed by the company VLTV is underpinned by a risk management approach to inspection and monitoring, and to the testing of the traceability of log/timber products throughout the supply chain. Computerised systems greatly facilitate reconciliation between the volumes of, for example, inventories, annual permits, production records, and transport or shipping documents. Itemised log/timber tracking also allows full traceability of the products back to a legitimate source ‘on the click of a button’ for the purpose of supporting any legality claim. VLTV uses a mechanism to link the successive segments of the “chain of custody” (CoC) to each other while respecting confidential commercial information: through a stepwise process for recording any product movement, change in state, or sale, the initial VLT Statement is updated or transferred to the new owner also meeting the above requirements.
Timber Legality and Traceability Verification (TLTV)
Following the proliferation of wood procurement policies stating the preference to purchase products certified under specific SFM certification schemes, their implementation and impact has been challenged by the shortage of certified material available on international markets. These policies have often been revised to incorporate stepwise approaches or broadening of acceptable demonstrations of legal and sustainable timber, requiring timber products to be independently verified or certified so as to qualify as ‘legal’, ‘legal progressing to sustainable’ or ‘sustainable’. These procedures increasingly identify legality as a first requirement.
Timber Legality and Traceability Verification (TLTV) is an extension of SGS’s concept of verification of compliance with agreed requirements in the forest and timber products industry and trade sector. In comparison with Mandatory and Voluntary Legal Timber Validation , TLTV provides the “voluntary, company level” approach, which incorporates regular auditing, or continuous monitoring and verification of a company’s wood production and tracking information, outside any national scheme.
TLTV potentially involves a combination of the following activities:

• verification of log/timber production and tracking data - involving review of timber tracking systems, from port back to stump in legitimate forest concession
• auditing of company data and specific legality investigations and checks
• data monitoring and processing, information analysis and reporting.

Implementation of these processes is necessary to reliably verify and analyse data so that a verification statement can be issued with confidence. Deployment of these activities depends on the nature of the company’s own supply chain and internal management systems.
Undertaking TLTV may not be enough for forest industry companies to comply with future trade regulations or to attract official recognition, but it should help a company demonstrate good governance, access restricted importing country markets and prepare for more demanding schemes, including Mandatory Legal Timber Validation or certification of sustainable forest management. It can also be used to demonstrate legal compliance to national authorities and to financiers in due diligence processes.
Technical information
Independent Verification of Legal Timber
Concept Presentation

Timber Flow Control: Log Tracking Systems and Technology