Legislative Framework
Placement of timber and paper products on the European market is governed by strict environmental standards to prevent the trade of goods linked to forest degradation. The eu deforestation regulation requires operators to collect geographic coordinates for the specific plot of land where the raw material originated. This legislation applies to all relevant commodities produced after December 2020, mandating that they are both legal and free from deforestation.
Verification Pathway
Operators must conduct a risk assessment for every shipment based on country of origin and supplier reliability. The eu deforestation regulation dictates that if a negligible risk cannot be proven, the product cannot enter the single market. Detailed information regarding the production date and the legality of the harvest under the laws of the country of origin must be documented.
Satellite monitoring and field audits often support these claims to ensure the integrity of the provided data.
Material Range
Requirements extend across the entire value chain from raw logs to finished printed books and corrugated packaging. While the eu deforestation regulation focuses on forest protection, it excludes recycled products from the geolocation requirement to encourage circularity. This exclusion only applies to material that has completed its lifecycle and would otherwise be disposed of as waste.
