Sustainability rules have moved from reporting to traceability: describing a way of working is no longer enough, you have to show where the raw material came from, how the packaging is built and that the evidence is still there when someone asks. The work lands with purchasing, production and quality — not with a sustainability function alone.
EUDR: 30 December 2026
The EU deforestation regulation applies from 30 December 2026 for larger companies and 30 June 2027 for micro and small enterprises and natural persons. The date has moved twice — much of what was written about EUDR a year ago works from the wrong timeline.
The three sets of rules, briefly
- EUDR, the deforestation regulation: timber, soy, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, rubber and cattle have to be traceable to the plot of land they came from, with geolocation and a due diligence statement.
- PPWR, the packaging regulation: applied since 12 August 2026. Technical documentation is required for every packaging placed on the market after that date, and labelling and reusability are regulated.
- FSC and PEFC: voluntary certification, but in practice a customer requirement in forestry and timber — and the chain of custody is what makes the EUDR evidence manageable.
Traceability is the work
What the rules have in common is that they demand evidence that holds up afterwards: who supplied it, from where, what the documentation says and how you know it is true. Companies that already run a chain of custody for certification have a shorter road to EUDR than those starting from nothing — and those buying from many small suppliers have the longest.
Common questions
The questions that decide how big the job is for you.
- When does the deforestation regulation apply?
- 30 December 2026 for larger companies and 30 June 2027 for micro and small enterprises and natural persons. The timeline was changed by Regulation (EU) 2025/2650 in December 2025.
- We don't sell raw material, only finished products. Are we affected?
- Yes, if the product contains one of the covered commodities. Responsibility follows the goods along the chain, and as a trader you have to show who you bought from and refer to their due diligence statement.
- What does PPWR require of us from August 2026?
- Technical documentation for every packaging placed on the market, reusable packaging designed to the requirements, and labelling that follows the harmonised definitions. Further requirements phase in at later dates.
- Is FSC or PEFC certification enough for EUDR?
- No, certification is not an exemption. But the chain of custody behind it provides much of the information EUDR asks for, which makes the due diligence work considerably easier.
Take the rules in the order they reach you
Tell us what you buy and sell and we will say which course matters most.
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