First Revised FSC Risk Assessment Released for Austria FSC / Iván C. FSC / Iván C. October 21, 2025 Category : General news The FSC Risk Assessment for Austria (FSC-RA-AUT-02-2025, abbreviated RA Austria) represents an important milestone in FSC’s global efforts to align national risk assessments with the updated FSC Risk Assessment Framework (FSC-PRO-60-006b). This alignment strengthens the consistency of FSC’s approach to responsible sourcing worldwide and responds to evolving international requirements, including those set by the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The Austrian RA process was launched in mid-2024. A first public draft was circulated on 25 November 2024 for a six-week public consultation period. During this phase, 38 stakeholders from diverse interest groups provided valuable input. A dedicated stakeholder event, held on 29 November 2024 in Vienna, brought together 14 participants for in-depth dialogue. The first draft of the RA was subsequently revised and submitted to FSC International in March 2025, leading to an intensive and constructive evaluation and improvement process, which continued until final approval. Key Highlights of the Austrian Risk Assessment: Process & Stakeholder Engagement The Austrian RA reflects a highly participatory approach. Stakeholder input—from forestry practitioners to environmental organizations and policy experts—played a central role in shaping the final content. The robust consultation process underscores FSC’s commitment to transparent and evidence-based risk assessment. Corruption and Governance While recent international indices indicate a slight decline in Austria’s governance and corruption scores, no evidence was found linking these concerns to the land-use or forestry sector. Nevertheless, the RA recommends that the Austrian forestry sector commission independent research to monitor the situation and ensure that this low-risk evaluation remains valid. Gender Discrimination Austria has made significant efforts to address gender-based discrimination. Though such initiatives have revealed previously unrecognized issues, cases are effectively managed through formal legal and institutional mechanisms. This supports a continued low-risk designation for this indicator in Austria. Nature Conservation & Forest Health Austria benefits from a comprehensive legal and governance framework for nature conservation. However, research indicates that the overall status of nature is not improving, with forests and their biodiversity increasingly impacted by climate change and external factors such as agricultural pesticide use. The RA highlights the need for ongoing vigilance and coordinated efforts by forest authorities, conservation agencies, and forest owners to prevent future risk identification for nature-related indicators. FSC Risk Assessment Framework The FSC-PRO-60-006b FSC Risk Assessment Framework provides a comprehensive tool for companies to assess and mitigate risks of sourcing forest materials. With 64 indicators for assessing risks connected to relevant social and environmental aspects, FSC’s Risk Assessment Framework is aligned with EUDR regulatory requirements to ensure responsible sourcing. The next generation of FSC’s existing risk assessments for controlled wood sourcing will be based on this updated framework and valid for both Regulatory Module users and Controlled Wood users. Learn more about how these requirements were developed in the process page here. Risk Hub Platform FSC’s risk assessments will now be available on the new Risk Hub platform, which offers an interactive and transparent experience. Stakeholders can easily explore, compare, and filter indicators across different countries. Annual Revision In line with FSC-PRO-60-006b FSC Risk Assessment Framework, FSC will review stakeholder feedback annually to ensure risk assessments remain current and relevant—especially regarding legislation, risk designations, and mitigation measures. We invite all stakeholders and experts to share their input continuously. Please visit the Risk Hub platform to leave your feedback on the content of the risk assessment. Effective Date & Access Effective Date: RA Austria becomes effective from 16 October 2025 onwards. Access: RA Austria in Risk Hub RA Austria in Document Centre RA Austria Consultation Report Learn more about Risk Assessments on FSC Risk Assessments | FSC Connect For any queries on the risk assessment, please contact FSC Austria (julia.koeberl@at.fsc.org) and the Country Requirements Programme (country_requirements@fsc.org).