Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on deforestation-free products (EUDR) aims to prevent products entering or leaving the EU market from contributing to global deforestation or forest degradation. The regulation also seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss caused by EU consumption and production.
The regulation is applicable to products listed in its annex, including those that contain, have been fed with or have been made using cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya and wood. For WISA, wood is the most relevant commodity, and therefore falls within the scope of the EUDR.
The regulation requires companies to exercise due diligence before placing or making relevant products available on the EU market or exporting them and, prohibits placing or making available on the market or exporting relevant products unless they are
- deforestation-free,
- have been produced in accordance with the relevant legislation of the country of production of the commodity in question,
- and are covered by a due diligence statement whereby the companies assume responsibility of the compliance of their products.
In addition, the regulation requires traceability of the commodities falling in the scope of the regulation. The due diligence statement (DDS) must contain information about the country of production and geolocation of all the plots of land where the commodity contained in the product associated to the due diligence statement was produced.
The regulation entered into force on 29 June 2023 and, will be fully applicable from 30 December 2026.
