9th June 2023 EU Deforestation Regulations get Final Agreement by Council

On May 16, the European Union Council gave its endorsement to the EU deforestation (EUDR) law.  Many within the agricultural supply chain sector have been monitoring the progression of the regulation, which was agreed upon in negotiations in December 2022. The law has been adopted with strong support, with only five abstentions.

Having received approval from the Parliament, the law is set to be enacted in the coming weeks after its official signing. There has not yet been an announcement on the benchmarking system, or list of countries which will be assigned the high, standard or low risk scores. But we do know  competent authorities will carry out checks on 9% of products from high-risk countries, 3% from standard-risk countries and 1% from low-risk countries.  Further announcements are expected soon.

So, what steps can you take to prepare for compliance?

• Enhance traceability throughout your supply chain by incorporating geolocation information from the originating farms. For commodities other than cattle, plots larger than 4 hectares should be represented using polygons, utilising an adequate number of latitude and longitude points to define the perimeter. It is crucial to prevent any deforestation or degradation within these areas, as such instances would disqualify products from entering the EU market. To facilitate this process, Trade in Space has developed a user-friendly mobile application called Digitrak, enabling field users to collect polygon and lat-long coordinates even when offline. Moreover, Digitrak seamlessly integrates with Sustainimaps, our advanced mapping platform that provides immediate deforestation results.
• Evaluate and monitor the risk of deforestation in compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Our team of experts is available to offer a comprehensive demo of your supply chain using Sustainimaps, enabling you to gain valuable insights and ensure compliance.
• Mitigate risks to an inconsequential level by implementing a robust due diligence policy. Take proactive measures to monitor and protect your supply chain, ensuring that deforestation is effectively eradicated.
• Reach out to the Trade in Space team to discuss how your current sustainability policy measures up, and arrange a demo on Sustainimaps.

These pro-active measures will position your business at the forefront of sustainable practices while complying with the forthcoming EU deforestation law.