In response to Russia's illegitimate invasion of Ukraine, ENplus, a world-leading certification scheme to guarantee high-quality wood pellets for consumers, has announced that it is suspending all ENplus certified companies in Belarus and Russia."We remain deeply concerned by the aggressive Russian invasion of the sovereign country of Ukraine and strongly condemn this brutal disrespect of democratic principles and violation of human rights," says the European Pellet Council (EPC).
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According to the statement, EPC members made this decision “not only considering the intended immediate impact on the Russian and Belarusian companies that comes to reinforce the EU sanctions but also fully aware of the inevitable negative consequences for a variety of stakeholders and ultimately for the European pellet market.”
ENplus is a certification scheme based on values that include an utmost level of social responsibility but also absolute respect for the rule of law. The actions of the Russian government assisted by Belarus contradict our values and have been perceived by the members of the European Pellet Council (EPC) as completely unacceptable. Therefore, after a meticulous assessment of the situation, the EPC has decided to suspend all ENplus-certified producers, traders, and service providers based in Russia and Belarus as of 15 April 2022, the statement read.
This means that neither of these companies will be able to sell ENplus-certified pellets as long as the suspension remains, nor new applications for certification from these two countries will be accepted.
The EPC remains committed to maintaining the certification process intact and in line with our standards and principles for the rest of the pellet businesses in Europe and beyond.
However, in these life-threatening conditions for many, the EPC prioritizes the security of the certified companies and the scheme partners by introducing exceptional measures – a so-called War Zone Guidance.
This extraordinary pack of requirements and procedures aims at supporting and protecting the Ukrainian companies and all the related professionals working in and traveling to the country. Supporting the Ukrainian people and protecting the scheme’s integrity, however, remain the main concerns behind the suspension.
