The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requires all companies and traders in certain products derived from cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palms, rubber, soy and timber to conduct comprehensive due diligence in the value chain. In addition, a due diligence declaration must be available for the goods in question and they must be produced in accordance with applicable local laws, including human rights.
According to the EUDR, ‘deforestation-free’ means that
- the goods do not contain or are not produced from relevant raw materials sourced from land that has been lost to deforestation since 31 December 2020;
- for certain products that contain or are made from wood, the use of wood leading to forest degradation is not permitted, i.e. wood that has been collected in a way that results in a structural change in the vegetation of certain forests.