Content:

1. ISCC Webinar – ISCC System Updates Summary Q3 2025

2. ISCC EU

3. ISCC PLUS

4. Publication of the Updated ISCC Document 208 “Logos and Claims” (v2.2)

5. Clarification on Risk Level Application for Audits

The System Update is mandatory for all ISCC System Users, ISCC Auditors and cooperating Certification Bodies.

1. ISCC Webinar – System Updates Summary Q3 2025

Date: 2 October 2025, 14:00 – 15:00 (CEST, UTC +2)

We offer a regular webinar series to keep our System Users, ISCC Auditors and other stakeholders informed about all recent changes and developments.

2. ISCC EU

2.1 List of Material Eligible for ISCC EU Certification (“ISCC EU Material List”)

The ISCC EU material list has been updated. The newly added and revised materials are marked in bold.

Additional clarification for specific feedstocks:

• Aflatoxin-contaminated corn may only qualify as agricultural residue – not as waste or processing residues – under the UK RTFO. This means, relevant sustainability criteria and requirements for agricultural residues must be met for certification.
• Waste starch slurry cannot be considered a waste or residue material if it is deliberately produced or if it is the primary intended output of a process (e.g., if the process generates no other primary products, such as noble starch for food purposes). If the definition for waste/residue is not met, then the material must be classified as a (co)-product.

Lastly, please note that the entry “Renewable Diesel” has been removed as it is already covered under “HVO”.

2.2 Clarifications on Mandatory Surveillance Audits

The requirements for mandatory surveillance audits are outlined in ISCC EU System Document 203 “Traceability and Chain of Custody” (v4.2), Chapter 3.4.11. To facilitate consistent implementation of ISCC requirements, please note the following clarifications.

• Timing of Mandatory Surveillance Audits

The three-month mandatory surveillance audit must be conducted in month four of the initial certification period, and the six-month mandatory surveillance audit in month seven. Any deviations from this timeline must be confirmed by ISCC in advance.

• Submission Deadlines to the ISCC HUB

As communicated in the ISCC HUB Update Summary from 22 April 2025:

• The three-month surveillance audit report must be submitted at the latest, within five months after the beginning of the certificate validity.
• The six-month surveillance audit report must be submitted at the latest, within eight months after the beginning of the certificate validity.
• The requirements for mandatory surveillance audits remain applicable even if the System User has not conducted any transactions involving ISCC-certified material since the start of the certificate’s validity.

• Scope of Application

As specified in ISCC EU System Document 203 “Traceability and Chain of Custody” (v.4.2), p. 64, mandatory surveillance audits apply to all economic operators that generate, collect, process, store, or trade materials which may be eligible for extra incentives in individual EU Member States (e.g. doublecounting), such as waste and residues or waste and residue-based products. This includes residues from agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, and fisheries such as straw, husks, and branches. Please note that requirements for mandatory surveillance audits apply to new System Users who aim to become certified for the first time.

• Non-cooperation as a Critical Non-conformity

As laid out in ISCC EU System Document 102 “Governance” (v.4.2), missing or delayed cooperation in surveillance audits ordered by the Certification Body (CB) and/or by ISCC, leading to surveillance audits not being conducted within the time required by ISCC System Documents, is considered a critical non-conformity.

Refusal to cooperate with the CB to schedule and complete a required surveillance audit in a timely manner is considered a critical non-conformity with ISCC requirements, and the corresponding actions as outlined in ISCC EU System Document 102 “Governance” (v.4.2) will apply.

• Economic operators undergoing recertification after a certification gap of more than five years are considered as newly certified under ISCC. In such cases, the mandatory surveillance audit requirements apply.

3. ISCC PLUS

3.1 Update of the ISCC Supplier Package for ISCC PLUS-certified Entities Supplying to Brand Owners

An updated version of the ISCC Supplier Package is now available in the client section. This package is designed to support System Users supplying ISCC PLUS-certified products or packaging materials to brand owners.

Key Updates of this Version:

• Inclusion of the latest ISCC Document 208 “Logos and Claims” (v2.2).
• Revision of the Amazon CPF programme one-pager to reflect the new certified share threshold.
• Updated presentations to align with recent developments.

If you are currently using the ISCC Supplier Package to engage with your customers, please ensure that you download and use the updated version. The previous version will no longer be available and must no longer be used, as it contains outdated information that could lead to confusion or miscommunication.

We welcome any feedback to better understand what companies need from ISCC to effectively communicate with brand owners. Please share any suggestions or comments via an e-mail to licence@iscc-system.org. We appreciate your input to further improve the ISCC Supplier Package.

3.2 Clarification on Ocean-bound Plastic (OBP) Materials Covered under ISCC PLUS

ISCC PLUS does not certify fishing nets, ropes, or similar items as ocean-bound plastic (OBP) material when they are collected directly from fishing boats or vessels. In such cases, the vessels are responsible for the correct disposal, and those materials may be certified as post-consumer plastic waste instead.  

Materials can only be certified as OBP under the ISCC PLUS System if they are collected in accordance with the OBP definition outlined in the ISCC PLUS Guidance Document for Ocean Bound Plastic (v1.1) – for example, when found on shorelines or riverbanks.

4. Publication of the Updated ISCC Document 208 “Logos and Claims” (v2.2)

Following the public consultation on draft version 2.0, the final ISCC Document 208 “Logos and Claims” (v2.2) is now published on the ISCC website, effective 16 July 2025.

The updated document (v2.2) has been restructured to provide clearer and more comprehensive guidance on the use of ISCC logos and claims. It outlines the requirements for ISCC-related communication, clarifies available logo options, including for special scenarios, and provides best practice examples to support effective implementation.

A 24-month transition period applies, ending on 15 July 2027. During this time, both version 1.3 and version 2.2 remain valid. We strongly recommend updating artworks to the new version 2.2 as soon as possible to ensure a smooth transition. From 16 July 2027, only version 2.2 will be valid.

5. Clarification on Risk Level Application for Audits

To support consistent application of ISCC audit requirements, we herewith clarify the following point related to the determination of risk levels, which directly influence audit intensity.

ISCC EU Only: High-Risk Level for Specific Waste/Residue Materials

Under ISCC EU, audits (both certification and surveillance audits) of Collecting Points, Central Offices (of Points of Origin), and individually certified Points of Origin must be conducted under a high-risk level if the System User handles at least one of the following waste/ residue materials:

• Waste/residues from the processing of animal or vegetable oils
• Soapstock
• Food waste
• POME oil
• Brown grease/grease trap fat
• Sewage sludge
• Used cooking oil (UCO)

If the overall risk level for an audit is determined to be high due to these specific waste/residue materials, all risks associated to these materials must be high.

This includes, among others, the risk level for documentation and the risk level for the sampling of external storage facilities, if one or multiple facilities are used to store these specific waste/residue materials.