EUDR: without geo-referenced due diligence, your product doesn't enter the EU
Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on deforestation-free products · Updated: julio de 2026
What is it, and what does it require of you?
The EUDR (Regulation (EU) 2023/1115) prohibits selling, importing or exporting in the EU seven commodities — cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soy and timber — and their derived products, if they come from land deforested or degraded after 31 December 2020. It requires geolocating every source plot, assessing the risk, and filing a due diligence statement before placing on the market.
Who does it apply to?
To operators and traders placing the covered commodities and their derived products on the EU market (or exporting from it): chocolate, roasted coffee, leather, tyres, furniture, paper… It hits European importers squarely, and Latin American producers and exporters selling into Europe.
Key dates
See also the Spain–Latin America compliance calendar.
Penalties
Compliance checklist
- Identify which of your products fall under the EUDR (commodities and derived products in the annexes).
- Collect the geolocation (polygons or points) of EVERY source plot.
- Check every plot against post-December-2020 deforestation (satellite imagery).
- Assess risk by country and by chain, and document your mitigation measures.
- File the due diligence statement in the EU information system before placing on the market.
- Demand documented traceability from your suppliers — without their data you cannot file.
- A working EUDR program: a geo-referenced plot registry with satellite deforestation checks built in.
- Risk alerts per plot and per supplier.
- A due diligence file per batch or shipment, with the evidence ready for the EU system and for your European customers.
- Supplier vetting with the EUDR paperwork watched.
Frequently asked questions
Which products does the EUDR cover?
Cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soy and timber, plus a long list of derived products: chocolate, roasted coffee, leather, tyres, furniture, paper and board, among others.
When does the EUDR apply?
The Regulation has been in force since June 2023; operator obligations are expected to apply, after the approved extensions, from December 2026 — check the Commission's latest published timetable before planning.
What is the due diligence statement?
A statement the operator files in the EU information system BEFORE placing goods on the market: it identifies the product, the geolocated source plots, and concludes that the deforestation risk is nil or negligible. Without it, the product cannot enter the market.
I'm a producer in Latin America selling to Europe — does this affect me?
Directly: your European customer won't be able to buy from you unless you hand over plot geolocation and evidence of no post-2020 deforestation. Having that traceability ready is now a commercial advantage over competitors who don't.
For information only — this is not legal advice. Check dates and thresholds with your adviser.
This obligation is organised with an international management system standard. If your group is already certified, you have half the road done — and the same holds in the other countries where you operate.