EUDR requirements

The EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) introduces new requirements for manufacturers and suppliers. It obliges companies to ensure that certain raw materials and products do not contribute to deforestation. This guide explains which items are affected, how to meet the EUDR requirements and how to sell these items through Unite. 

What is the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR)? 

The EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) aims to prevent the import and sale of items in the EU that are linked to deforestation or forest degradation. Suppliers and manufacturers who place or sell certain raw materials or items on the EU market are required to document the origin and supply chain of these items and ensure they are deforestation-free. This is done through a Due Diligence Statement (DDS), a digital declaration documenting the origin and supply chain of these items. The regulation promotes the protection of forests worldwide and supports EU goals to combat climate change and biodiversity loss. 

Which products and items are affected by the EUDR? 

The EUDR uses Harmonised System Codes (HS codes) to identify exactly which products and items fall under the regulation. These internationally standardised codes classify goods for trade purposes. Only items with specific HS codes listed in Annex 1 of the EUDR are subject to these requirements. 

The affected areas generally include: 

• Raw material categories: Wood, soy, oil palm, cattle (e.g. beef and leather products), rubber, cocoa and coffee. 

• Product categories: Products and items containing these raw materials, such as certain furniture, paper products, chocolate items, cosmetics or leather goods. 

What is a Due Diligence Statement (DDS)? 

A DDS is a digital declaration through which companies confirm to the European Commission that their EUDR-relevant items have not contributed to deforestation and comply with all applicable laws in the country of origin. A DDS provides information about: 

• The origin of the items 

• The geographical location of cultivation areas  

• The supply chain and processing steps

 Who needs to create a DDS? 

• Supply chain actors must either submit their own DDS or provide the reference number of an upstream DDS. 

• Suppliers must provide reference numbers and item data to Unite. 

• Unite as a trader is required to create its own DDS and provide the reference number to its customers. 

Meeting EUDR requirements in four steps 

Step 1: Check EUDR relevance 

1. Determine the exact HS code of your product (The first 6 digits of the customs tariff number form the HS Code.) 

2. Compare this with the HS codes in Annex 1 of the EUDR

   -> If there’s a match, your product is EUDR-relevant 

3. Additionally check if your product falls under any exclusion criteria (see Step 3).

Step 2: Identify possible exemptions 

Even if your product has an EUDR-relevant HS Code, certain exemption criteria may apply. In such cases, the due diligence obligation does not apply and a DDS is not required. Please document the EUDR relevance (product_eudr_status = yes) and the applicable exemption criterion in your catalogue. Steps 3 and 4 are not required in this case. 

Permissible exemption criteria to be specified in the catalogue:

Step 3: Add mandatory catalogue data 

For all EUDR-relevant products, the following information is required in the catalogue: 

• Customs tariff number

  Guide: Adding customs tariff numbers

• EUDR relevance: product_eudr_status [yes | no]

  Guide: see below

• Net weight of the item

  Guide: Providing item weights

Step 4: Provide mandatory information at the time of order (traders only) 

If an EUDR-relevant item is ordered by our customers, the supplier must provide Unite with the following information: 

• Reference number (details to follow) 

• Verification code (details to follow) 

Further details on how to submit this information to Unite will be provided soon. 

Implementation in the Catalogue (XML format) 

The required information on EUDR relevance and applicable exemptions (see table in Step 2) must be included in the <ARTICLE_FEATURES> section of the product. 

Example for an EUDR-relevant product without an exemption: 

Example for an EUDR-relevant product with an exemption: 

If it’s not possible to include EUDR data in the catalogue, you can submit this information via a separate CSV file. 

Transferring the File to Unite 

Please upload the updated catalogue file as usual to the corresponding directory via SFTP. 

Implementation in the catalogue (CSV format) 

If you use the Excel template for your catalogue creation, include the EUDR data in the ‘unite-csv_products’ file under the columns FNAME1, FVALUE1, FNAME2, FVALUE2. 

If these columns are already used for other attributes, use the next available FVALUE column. If all FVALUE columns are occupied, you can submit the EUDR information via a separate CSV file.

Transferring the File to Unite

Please upload the updated catalogue file as usual to the corresponding directory via SFTP.

Implementation with a separate CSV file (Conditions file)

As an alternative to the catalogue, the EUDR information can be submitted via a separate CSV file.

Note: If a CSV file (Conditions file) is already active for your catalogue, you can add the EUDR information in additional columns and upload the updated file as usual via SFTP.
All important information on creating a separate CSV file (Conditions file) can be found here.

CSV structure:

Please fill in the CSV file as shown in the screenshot.

Transferring the CSV file to Unite

Upload the CSV file to the SFTP directory associated with your catalogue. After the initial upload, there may be a delay as the file needs to be activated in the system. Once this process is complete, we’ll automatically send an email to the address specified in the catalogue management tool.