EUDR: The origin of timber must be documented
Michalis Socratous, Director, TTR Centre, 07 October 2026
What the wood and furniture sector needs to know and why the postponements should be used to prepare
Protecting forests is also connected to products we buy every day: coffee, cocoa, timber, furniture and other goods.
Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, commonly known as the EUDR — EU Deforestation Regulation, covers specified products associated with seven commodities: cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya and wood.
This article focuses on timber and products of the wood and furniture sector.
From legal logging to forest protection
With transitional arrangements, the EUDR replaces the EUTR — EU Timber Regulation.
The previous framework focused on combating illegally harvested timber. The EUDR retains the requirement for legal production and adds requirements concerning deforestation and, for timber, forest degradation. Legal production remains necessary, but is not sufficient on its own.
When do the requirements apply?
Under the framework in force on 7 October 2026:
30 December 2026: the general application date for the main obligations.
30 June 2027: the application date for micro and small operators that meet the conditions for the postponement and were already established as such by 31 December 2024.
For products covered by the Annex to the previous EU Timber Regulation — EUTR, the application date is 30 December 2026, including for micro and small operators.
A business should therefore not assume that its small size gives it until June 2027. Specific transitional arrangements are explained in the full article.
What should a business examine?
Which of its products are covered by the Regulation.
Its role in the supply chain.
The obligations and application dates relevant to its activities.
The information it needs to receive and retain.
The obligations are not identical for everyone. An importer placing timber on the EU market for the first time has a different role from a workshop purchasing materials that have already undergone the required due diligence.
Continuing our updates for the sector
As we highlighted in our article on formaldehyde, preparation starts with knowing what we buy, requesting reliable documentation and keeping organised records.
The EUDR concerns the origin of raw materials. Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 on construction products addresses different requirements for the products it covers.
Information, professional competence and appropriate documentation are common needs.
Read the full article
The PDF provides more detailed explanations of the products covered, documentation requirements, different business roles, transitional dates, checks and practical preparation steps.
DOWNLOAD THE PDF BELOW TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE
A postponement is valuable when it becomes time used for preparation.
This information is provided for general awareness and does not replace an assessment of the obligations of a specific business or product under the applicable legislation.
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