The EUDR aims to prevent the import and sale of products linked to deforestation in the EU market. It covers specific commodities, including cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soy, wood, and rubber, as well as products derived from these commodities, such as leather hides, paper, and furniture. Under this regulation, these products must be deforestation-free, meaning they must not originate from land deforested after December 31, 2020. EUDR deforestation assessments will be essential for businesses to ensure their products achieve EUDR compliance and reach their target market.

Achieve EU Deforestation Regulation compliance in your supply chain

Eurofins offers a tailored deforestation assessment to help you trace your supply chain to raw material origin, and meet the stringent requirements of the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Our deforestation assessment provides the support and insight you need to thrive in a regulatory environment. With our robust datasets, tailored reporting, and expert guidance, achieving full visibility and compliance has never been easier.

How does Eurofins’ EU deforestation assessment work?

Step 1: Comprehensive information collection

Eurofins can identify your entire supply chain, and capture the information required using cascading questionnaires. Article 9 of the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation requires companies in scope to collect detailed information from their supply chain, including the geolocation of all suppliers of which the relevant products have been produced, upstream to raw material origin (farm, forest of harvest, etc). Where plots of land are larger than 4 hectares (excluding cattle), the legislation requires geolocation in the form of polygon area, of which Eurofins can also capture. This level of precision ensures that you can pinpoint and address potential EUDR compliance issues with unparalleled accuracy.

Step 2: Advanced risk assessment

Eurofins will provide a detailed risk assessment in alignment with Article 10 of the EU Deforestation Regulation, using various globally recognised indexes and advanced datasets to assess the supply chain against deforestation, in order to assess EU Deforestation Regulation compliance.

Step 3: Targeted risk mitigation

Following the risk assessment, supply chains will be flagged as either EUDR compliant, non-compliant, or at risk of non-compliance. Where supply chains have been identified as non-compliant, or at risk of non-compliance, the company must undertake risk mitigation measures in accordance with Article 11 of the EUDR, to reduce risk to no, or negligible level. Eurofins can provide risk mitigation recommendations using our expertise of the materials and supply chains affected by the regulation.

Customer-centric approach for EUDR compliance

Eurofins offers personalised support and in-depth interpretation of your results from the deforestation assessment. We understand that it can be challenging to navigate the results from risk-mapped supply chain testing. This is why every result and report handover takes place with a comprehensive guided discussion of your results. Our team will provide tailored recommendations, helping you understand and act on your findings swiftly and effectively. Our commitment to your success ensures that you get the most out of your experience, have direct access to our expertise, and competitive turnaround times.

Ensuring you maintain EUDR compliance

We stay abreast of rapidly evolving deforestation regulations to ensure our service remains aligned with current standards, drawing on data from various reliable sources for comprehensive regulatory compliance. To maintain alignment with the EUDR and ensure ongoing adherence, we offer an annual review of your supply chain assessment, providing regular updates to keep your risk assessment current and reflective of any changes in regulations or supply chain dynamics.

Comprehensive and accurate deforestation database for supply chain mapping

With access to robust and up-to-date datasets pertaining to deforestation, our risk-mapped supply chain mapping tools identify hot spot geographical locations. Eurofins can assess how closely linked your supply chain is to regions of recent deforestation using various data sources, including data from Global Forest Watch. We use the latest available satellite data, that has been compiled by academic institutions and peer reviewed, to make our risk assessment of your supply chain. Our sophisticated tools will layer deforestation loss against a global canopy height layer to assess the vegetation height and reasons for deforestation in said areas, equipping you with the information you need to effectively respond to the requirements of the EUDR.

Advantages of Eurofins’ deforestation assessment service

• Robust datasets – Eurofins utilises globally recognised datasets to monitor deforestation rates, of which are regularly updated to reflect the most up-to-date global data, ensuring accurate and timely insights into environmental changes. Access to datasets such as this is essential to proving and maintaining EU Deforestation Regulation compliance.
• Tailored reporting – Eurofins provides tailored reporting by working closely with the supply chain to assess risk of non-compliance, offering detailed support to ensure that your business can meet the stringent standards of achieving EUDR compliance.
• Expert guidance on EUDR compliance – Eurofins has subject matter experts on the EU Deforestation Regulation and broader sustainability legislation, who are able to answer your queries and provide guidance on compliance matters.

EU Deforestation Regulation resources

Eurofins is passionate about providing you with accurate, up-to-date, and reliable information. Please see below for valuable resources on EUDR compliance.

• Webinar on-demand | EU Deforestation Regulation: Requirements, scope, and responses. Coming soon!
• White paper | Sustainable compliance: EU Deforestation Regulation. Download now!
• News | Introducing EUDR deforestation impact assessment. Read now!
• Brochure | Overview of Eurofins EUDR deforestation impact assessment. Download now!

Contact us about EUDR compliance

Navigating EU Deforestation Regulation complexities is easier with Eurofins. Contact us to learn how our risk-mapped service can help you achieve compliance, enhance transparency, and pave the way for sustainable success.

Frequently asked questions about EUDR compliance

What if my suppliers do not provide the information required?

If a company placing a commodity or product in scope of the regulation on the EU market is unable to obtain the necessary information from upstream suppliers as required by the regulation, the regulation states that the company must avoid placing or exporting the relevant products.

I purchased finished leather goods, does this mean that I am out of scope of the EUDR requirements?

Yes, for the time being. However, it is important to note that the scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) may expand to cover additional product categories in the future. As such, we strongly recommend that you proactively map your supply chain now, to allow sufficient time for risk mitigation should these changes affect your products.

What are the consequences for a company that does not comply?

Penalties for non-compliance are outlined in Article 25 of the legislation and may include, but are not limited to

• Fines up to 4% of the company’s total annual turnover across the EU
• Confiscation of the relevant products
• Confiscation of revenues
• Temporary prohibition on placing, making available, or exporting the relevant commodities and products

As with all new regulation it is hard to interpret exactly how penalties for noncompliance will be applied. Regardless however, the direction of travel is towards transparency of supply chains and actively addressing the issue of deforestation within supply chains so it is recommended that businesses engage with the EUDR regulation as soon as possible.

When will the EU benchmark countries according to their level of risk?

The exact timeline for the EU to complete the country risk benchmarking has not yet been confirmed. As of 29th June 2023, all countries have been assigned a standard risk level. The EU has stated that the benchmarking process is ongoing, with the results expected to be communicated in due course. However, in accordance with the regulation, the final benchmarks will be released no later than 30th December 2024.

How can I engage my suppliers to help me achieve traceability?

The EUDR requires evidence of supply chain engagement as part of adherence. Our service actively engages your supply chain for you, through targeted, cascading questionnaires using an established software solution, designed to support supply chain actors in providing information swiftly and efficiently.

Leather traceability to birthing farm seems impossible, what does the EU have to say on this?

Although Eurofins acknowledges the challenges in achieving traceability to the birthplace of cattle, the regulation mandates that companies placing cattle products on the market must geolocate all establishments involved in raising the cattle. This includes not only the birthplace but also farms where the cattle were fed, grazing lands, and slaughterhouses.
We recognise that the requirements of the EUDR are very challenging for the leather industry as supply chain actors sometimes struggle to source farm level data for their products. However, one of the objectives for this regulation is to improve existing visibility and ensure traceability data begins to be properly captured. We have been working in the space of supply chain visibility for leather for over 20 years and have seen significant steps forward in the past few years around supply chain visibility. We expect to see a further uplift in this visibility following the introduction of this regulation.