EUDR came into effect on June 29, 2023, and is designed to ensure that products linked to deforestation or forest degradation are excluded from the EU market. It replaced the earlier European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR). EUDR has been postponed by a year - for medium and large organizations, compliance with EUDR will be required by December 30, 2025, and for smaller organizations by June 30, 2026.
What products are included?
The regulation targets commodities linked to issues of deforestation such as wood, cocoa, soy, coffee, rubber, and their derivatives like furniture, chocolate, and paper. The inclusion of printed matter like books, was not previously covered under EUTR.
Who is responsible for compliance and what are the consequences of non-compliance?
Non-compliance could lead to fines of up to 4% of the company's EU turnover, confiscation of goods, or exclusion from public contracts. Production areas must adhere to local social and environmental laws, and the onus is on the company placing the product on the EU market to ensure compliance. Companies must follow a specific due diligence process with transparent supply chain information.
How will compliance be monitored?
Regular inspections by national authorities are expected and companies should also prepare for scrutiny from private parties. Compliance now requires traceability from the tree's geolocation to the final printed product. For a book, this involves tracking the source of paper for text pages, endpapers, covers, and jackets. The regulation exempts 100% recycled materials from due diligence requirements, although mixed-source materials will still require documentation.
Resources
European Union
All the information about how to comply with EUDR.
Book Industry Communication (BIC)
A short, high-level overview of EUDR.
What this means for the book industry supply chain
How is the geolocation data going to be traced and handled
Who generates the certificates
CPI
CPI's step-by-step guide to understanding and complying with EUDR.
BookNet Canada, BISGÂ and EDItEURÂ
Graham Bell (EDItEUR) discusses the impact of EUDR:
The responsibilities it places on publishers, distributors, and retailers both within and outside the European Union
The need for data collection and record-keeping about the sources of raw materials used in the book industry
How ONIX is used to communicate some of the key metadata required for compliance with the regulations
FSC
EDItEUR
(download the document and search within the Guide for ‘EUDR’)
