The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) in plain English
For growers and exporters outside the EU. Updated November 2026. This is a summary, not legal advice: always check the official text and your buyer's requirements.
What it says
From the dates below, seven commodities and many products made from them can only be sold in the EU or exported from it if they are:
- deforestation-free: grown on land that was not forest on 31 December 2020, or (for wood) harvested without forest degradation after that date;
- legal: produced under the laws of the country of production (land use rights, labour, tax, environment and so on);
- covered by a due diligence statement filed by the company placing them on the EU market.
The commodities: cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya and wood, plus products made from them (chocolate, roasted coffee, tyres, furniture, paper and more, listed in Annex I of the regulation).
When
- 30 December 2026 for large and medium companies.
- 30 June 2027 for micro and small companies.
These dates come from the December 2025 amendment, Regulation (EU) 2025/2650. In May 2026 the Commission confirmed there will be no further delay, while proposing some simplifications.
What your EU buyer will ask you for
- The location of every plot the product came from. A single point (latitude and longitude with at least six decimal places) is enough for plots up to 4 hectares. Bigger plots (except for cattle) need the boundary as a polygon.
- Proof the land was not forest on 31 December 2020, or that it was in farm use.
- Proof the producer had the right to use the land and followed local law.
- The date or period of production, and the quantity.
The buyer files the due diligence statement in the EU information system (often called TRACES) and attaches the plot locations, usually as a GeoJSON file. This site produces that file for you.
What counts as "forest"
Under the regulation, forest is land over 0.5 hectares with trees taller than 5 metres and more than 10% canopy cover, excluding land that is mainly in agricultural or urban use. That last part matters for shade-grown coffee, cocoa under trees and other agroforestry: satellites often see these farms as forest, so you need papers showing the land was a farm before 2021 (land records, board registration, dated photos or imagery).
Country risk
The Commission sorts countries into low, standard and high risk. In its first list (May 2025) India was rated low risk, as were most EU countries, the US and China; Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia were standard risk. Buyers sourcing from low-risk countries can use simplified due diligence, but they still need the plot locations and must act on any sign of risk. The European Parliament objected to that list in July 2025 and the Commission has proposed changes, so check the current classification before relying on it.
How this check helps
- It finds plots that need attention before your buyer does.
- It gives amber plots a checklist of the evidence that usually settles them.
- It produces the GeoJSON for the due diligence statement, with at least six decimals kept.
It cannot prove legality, and satellite maps make mistakes, especially for small plots and tree crops.