The EU Information System is the central digital platform through which all Due Diligence Statements must be submitted under the EUDR. Built on the TRACES NT infrastructure, it is the backbone of EUDR enforcement. This article explains how it works, what data you need to submit, and how to prepare.
The EU Information System for the Deforestation Regulation is a centralised digital platform developed by the European Commission to receive, store, and manage Due Diligence Statements (DDS) submitted by operators and traders under the EUDR. It serves as the single point of submission for all compliance declarations and the primary tool through which competent authorities monitor and enforce the regulation.
The system is built on TRACES NT (Trade Control and Expert System — New Technology), an existing European Commission platform that has been used for years to manage sanitary and phytosanitary controls on imports of animals, food, feed, and plants. By extending TRACES NT rather than building an entirely new system, the Commission leveraged existing infrastructure, security frameworks, and user management capabilities. However, the EUDR module within TRACES NT is purpose-built for deforestation regulation compliance and includes specific functionality for geolocation data handling, risk assessment documentation, and reference number generation.
The legal basis for the system's technical specifications is set out in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/3084, which establishes the detailed rules for the functioning of the Information System, including data formats, submission procedures, access rights, and interoperability requirements.
The EU Information System operates through a structured workflow that connects operators, traders, customs authorities, and competent authorities. Here is how the process works from start to finish.
Before submitting any Due Diligence Statement, operators and traders must register on the EU Information System. Registration requires creating an account through the EU Login authentication service (the European Commission's single sign-on system) and then registering your organisation within the TRACES NT platform. During registration, you provide your company details, including legal name, registered address, EORI number (Economic Operators Registration and Identification number), and the Member State in which you operate or through which you place products on the market.
For companies outside the EU that place products on the EU market (for example, a Swiss trader importing coffee into Germany), registration is still required. The system accommodates non-EU entities, though the process may involve additional verification steps. It is advisable to begin the registration process well in advance of your first planned DDS submission, as account activation and organisational verification can take time.
Once registered, operators submit a DDS for each product or batch of products they intend to place on the EU market. The DDS is a structured digital declaration that contains all the information required under Articles 4 and 9 of the EUDR. The submission must be completed before the product is placed on the market — it is not a retrospective filing.
The DDS can be submitted manually through the system's web interface or programmatically through an API (Application Programming Interface) for companies that need to submit large volumes of statements. The API option is particularly relevant for large operators handling hundreds or thousands of shipments per year, as it allows integration with existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) and supply chain management systems.
Upon successful submission and validation of a DDS, the system generates a unique DDS reference number. This reference number is the critical link between the compliance declaration and the physical product. It must accompany the product through the entire supply chain — from the operator who submitted the DDS to any downstream traders, and ultimately to customs authorities at the point of import or export.
The reference number serves multiple purposes: it allows customs authorities to verify that a valid DDS exists for a given shipment, it enables downstream traders to fulfil their obligation to retain and present DDS information, and it provides competent authorities with a direct link to the full compliance documentation when conducting checks.
When an operator provides a product to a downstream trader within the EU, the DDS reference number must be communicated along with the product. The downstream trader does not need to submit their own DDS (unless they are also acting as an operator for a different product), but they must retain the reference number and be able to present it to competent authorities upon request. This creates a chain of traceability that links every product on the EU market back to a specific compliance declaration.
The EU Information System is designed to interface with EU customs systems. When regulated products arrive at EU borders, customs authorities can verify the existence and validity of a DDS by checking the reference number against the Information System. Products without a valid DDS reference number may be held at customs until compliance is demonstrated. This integration is a key enforcement mechanism, as it creates a physical checkpoint that prevents non-compliant products from entering the EU market.
The Due Diligence Statement is a comprehensive declaration that requires detailed information about the product, its origin, and the due diligence process. The following data elements must be included in every DDS submission:
The EU Information System supports multiple user roles with different levels of access and functionality:
These are the primary users of the system. Operators submit DDS and manage their compliance declarations. Traders access the system to verify DDS reference numbers and, in some cases, to submit their own statements. Both operators and traders can view the status of their submissions, update information where permitted, and download copies of their DDS for record-keeping purposes.
Each EU Member State designates one or more competent authorities responsible for enforcing the EUDR. These authorities have elevated access to the Information System, allowing them to view DDS submissions, conduct risk-based checks, request additional information from operators, and flag non-compliant statements. Competent authorities use the system as their primary enforcement tool, cross-referencing DDS data with satellite imagery, customs records, and other intelligence sources.
Customs authorities have access to verify the existence and validity of DDS reference numbers at the point of import or export. Their access is focused on verification rather than detailed review — they confirm that a valid DDS exists for a given shipment and that the reference number matches the product being declared.
The Commission maintains oversight of the system, monitors its operation, and has access to aggregated data for policy analysis and reporting purposes. The Commission also manages the country benchmarking system, which classifies countries as low, standard, or high risk based on their deforestation rates and governance frameworks.
The detailed technical specifications for the EU Information System are set out in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/3084, adopted by the European Commission in December 2024. This implementing act covers several critical areas:
The EU Information System handles significant volumes of personal and commercial data, and its design reflects the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other EU data protection frameworks. Key data protection aspects include:
Companies should take several practical steps to prepare for using the EU Information System:
Sources: This article draws on the European Commission's Information System for the Deforestation Regulation documentation and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/3084.
See how Plotwiser's AI-powered solution handles your entire due diligence pipeline — from satellite verification to DDS generation.
