EUDR obligations will be enforced on 30 December 2025 for large operators, and 30 June 2026 for micro and small enterprises. With the EUDR enforcement deadline approaching, businesses are strongly encouraged to take early action to manage risk, maintain EU market access, and enhance supply chain transparency.
Organizations marketing, importing or exporting to or from the EU any timber based items, including derived products, must be EUDR compliant. This guarantees that their commodities are not associated with deforestation, forest degradation or breaches in local environmental or social legislation in the country of production.
Step 1: Information gathering
Companies must collect comprehensive data on their commodities, including geolocation coordinates, production date, product details, supply chain contacts, and proof of legality.
Step 2: Risk assessment
A risk assessment must be conducted to determine if there is a non-negligible risk of non-compliance, considering factors like the country of origin’s deforestation risk and supply chain complexity. Until the EU’s country benchmarking is complete, all countries are considered “standard risk,” requiring full due diligence
Step 3: Risk mitigation
If a non-negligible risk is identified, companies must take steps to reduce it, such as requesting more documentation, conducting audits, using satellite imagery, or switching suppliers. If compliant and non-compliant products are mixed, the entire batch is non-compliant unless segregation can be proven
The due diligence statement and submission
After completing due diligence, operators must submit a DDS through the EU’s Information System (EU Traces) before goods enter the EU market or are exported. The DDS confirms compliance, and its reference number is used in customs declarations.
