EUDR Compliance 2026: A Guide for EU Supply Chains

The EU Deforestation Regulation, known as EUDR or Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, is changing how companies manage supply chain transparency, product compliance and sustainability evidence.

The updated 2026 guidance from the European Commission gives businesses clearer direction on how to interpret important parts of the regulation, including who is responsible, when obligations apply, what due diligence means in practice, how to assess supply chain complexity and how to handle product scope questions such as packaging, recycled materials and composite products.

For companies placing relevant products on the EU market, making them available in the EU or exporting them from the EU, EUDR is not only an environmental requirement. It is a data, documentation, supplier engagement and audit-readiness challenge.

This blog explains the key business implications of the updated guidance and how companies can prepare in a structured and practical way.

Why the Updated EUDR Guidance Matters for Businesses

The purpose of the guidance is to support a more harmonised implementation of EUDR across the EU. It does not replace the legal text of the regulation, but it helps clarify how several obligations should be understood in practice.

For businesses, the guidance is important because it translates legal concepts into operational requirements. Companies need to know:

The guidance makes one message clear: EUDR compliance must be supported by reliable evidence, traceable supply chains and maintained due diligence systems.

Key EUDR Application Dates Companies Should Track

The updated guidance clarifies the application timeline for the main EUDR obligations.

Companies should not wait until the final deadline. EUDR readiness requires supplier outreach, product mapping, geolocation data collection, risk assessment, legality evidence and internal procedures. These activities often require coordination between compliance, procurement, legal, logistics, sustainability and IT teams.

What Products Are Covered by EUDR?

EUDR applies to relevant commodities and relevant products listed in Annex I of the regulation. The main commodities include:

• Cattle
• Cocoa
• Coffee
• Oil palm
• Rubber
• Soya
• Wood

The regulation applies when relevant products are placed on the EU market, made available on the EU market or exported from the EU.

The guidance also provides useful clarification on practical product scope questions.

Packaging Materials

Packaging may be covered when it is placed on the market or exported as a product in its own right.

However, packaging used only to support, protect or carry another product is generally not treated in the same way. This distinction is important for companies handling paper, cardboard, wooden pallets, crates, cases or other packaging materials.

Waste, Recovered and Recycled Products

Products made entirely from material that has completed its lifecycle and would otherwise be discarded as waste are generally excluded from the scope of EUDR.

However, if a product contains any amount of virgin or non-recycled relevant material, that part may still be subject to EUDR obligations. Businesses should therefore assess recycled-content claims carefully and maintain clear documentation.

Composite Products

Composite products can create additional complexity. A product may contain several relevant materials, but companies must assess the relevant commodity linked to the product under the EUDR product scope.

For example, a chocolate product may contain cocoa ingredients and other ingredients such as palm oil. Businesses must carefully identify which relevant commodity is linked to the product category and collect the required information accordingly.

Understanding Business Roles Under EUDR

A company’s obligations depend on its role in the supply chain. The same business may have different roles for different products.

This role-based approach is critical. Businesses should not assume that one company-wide classification is enough. The role should be assessed product by product and transaction by transaction.

The Three Core EUDR Compliance Conditions

Under EUDR, relevant commodities and products must meet three separate conditions before they can be placed on the market, made available or exported.

Examples of Complexity Risk

Supply chain complexity may increase when:

• Raw materials come from multiple plots of land
• Commodities are sourced from several countries
• Several processors or intermediaries are involved
• Products are highly processed
• Product components are mixed
• Documentation is inconsistent or incomplete
• Parts of the supply chain are not clearly identified

For procurement and compliance teams, this means EUDR should be integrated into supplier onboarding, product data management and ongoing supplier monitoring.

1. Products Must Be Deforestation-Free

Products must not be linked to land that has been subject to deforestation after 31 December 2020.

For wood products, the guidance also clarifies the relationship between EUDR and forest degradation requirements.

2. Products Must Be Legally Produced

Relevant products must be produced in accordance with the relevant legislation of the country of production.

This may include laws related to:

• Land use rights
• Environmental protection
• Forest management and biodiversity conservation
• Third-party rights
• Labour rights
• Human rights protected under international law
• Indigenous peoples’ rights
• Free, prior and informed consent
• Tax, anti-corruption, trade and customs rules where relevant

The guidance makes clear that legality is not a simple checkbox. Companies must collect information, documents and data that are adequately conclusive and verifiable.

3. Products Must Be Covered by Required Documentation

Relevant products must be supported by a due diligence statement or, where applicable, a simplified declaration.

This means companies need a clear process for collecting, validating, storing and communicating documentation across the supply chain.

EUDR Due Diligence: From Supplier Data to Evidence

The updated guidance confirms that due diligence is not a one-time document request. It is a structured system of information collection, risk assessment and risk mitigation.

Operators must establish and keep up to date a due diligence system. This system should allow the company to demonstrate that relevant products comply with EUDR before they are placed on the market or exported.

Core EUDR Due Diligence Steps

Companies should also document how decisions are made. If a product is assessed as negligible risk, the company should be able to explain why that conclusion is reasonable based on the evidence collected.

Why Supply Chain Complexity Is a Major EUDR Risk Factor

The guidance highlights supply chain complexity as an important risk assessment criterion.

A supply chain becomes more complex when there are more processors, intermediaries, countries, plots of land or mixed materials involved. The more complex the supply chain, the harder it may be to trace commodities back to their source and prove that they are deforestation-free and legally produced.

What “Negligible Risk” Means Under EUDR

Negligible risk does not mean no risk exists. It means that, after reviewing product-specific and contextual information and applying mitigation measures where needed, there is no cause for concern that the product is non-compliant.

If any relevant risk factor shows a non-negligible level of risk, the product should not be placed on the EU market or exported until the risk has been resolved.

This makes evidence quality essential. A simple supplier statement may not be sufficient where the country risk is high, supply chain documentation is weak or traceability is incomplete.

Simplified Due Diligence for Low-Risk Countries

The guidance explains that simplified due diligence may apply when products are sourced from countries or parts of countries classified as low risk.

However, simplified due diligence does not remove all obligations. Operators still need to collect information and maintain a due diligence system. Risk assessment and risk mitigation may not be required unless the operator obtains or becomes aware of information suggesting a risk of non-compliance or circumvention.

In practice, businesses should still maintain strong supplier data and evidence files, even where simplified due diligence applies.

Certifications Can Support EUDR Compliance, But They Are Not a Green Lane

Certification and third-party verification schemes can be useful sources of information for risk assessment and risk mitigation. They may help support evidence related to legality, deforestation-free production, geolocation and supply chain controls.

However, the guidance is clear that certifications do not replace the operator’s responsibility.

Companies using certification schemes should check whether the scheme:

• Covers the relevant commodity and product
• Aligns with the EUDR deforestation-free definition
• Uses the 31 December 2020 cut-off date
• Provides traceability to the plot of land
• Prevents mixing with material of unknown origin
• Provides evidence that is adequately conclusive and verifiable
• Has credible governance, audit and assurance processes

Certifications should be treated as supporting evidence, not as automatic proof of compliance.

Practical EUDR Readiness Checklist for Companies

Businesses preparing for EUDR should begin with a structured readiness plan.

A strong EUDR compliance programme should be practical, repeatable and scalable. It should not depend on scattered spreadsheets, emails or manual document chasing.

How ComplyMarket Can Support EUDR Compliance

EUDR compliance requires more than understanding the regulation. Companies need a reliable way to collect supplier information, manage product data, assess risk, document decisions and keep evidence ready for authorities and customers.

ComplyMarket supports companies by helping them move from fragmented compliance processes to structured, digital and audit-ready workflows.

ComplyMarket Can Help Businesses:

• Identify products and materials that may fall within EUDR scope
• Collect supplier declarations, documents and supporting evidence
• Organise supplier, product and supply chain data in one system
• Support due diligence workflows and risk assessment processes
• Maintain traceability information and compliance records
• Monitor supplier responses and documentation gaps
• Prepare evidence for customer requests and authority checks
• Connect EUDR compliance with broader product compliance, ESG and sustainability obligations

For companies managing complex supply chains, ComplyMarket can help transform EUDR from a manual documentation burden into a controlled compliance process.