The EU’s “Deforestation Regulation” (EUDR) is transitioning from paper requirements to digital implementation. On September 3, the German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) announced the digital control process, clarifying how companies can complete the Due Diligence Statement (DDS) declaration through an online system. This is not only a fulfillment of EU-level requirements but also a direct signal to enterprises:compliance must enter the action phase.
🔎 1. Submitting DDS via Digital Platform
In Germany, companies need to submit DDS through the digital platform established by BLE. This platform will directly interface with the EU’s TRACES system, ensuring that declaration data is unified and traceable. The declaration content includes:
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Product categories and quantities (according to CN codes);
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Supply chain information (transaction chain);
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Geographical coordinates of the production plot;
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Legitimacy documents.
The platform also supports data interfaces, facilitating companies to connect their internal ERP or supply chain management systems with the platform.
🔍 2. Risk Control and Spot Checks
The BLE platform will perform automated comparisons of data, such as:
Verifying geographical coordinates against forest cover and land use databases;
Checking invoices, quantities, and documents for consistency with the supply chain.
High-risk declarations will be flagged and subsequently enter a manual spot-check phase, where companies must be prepared to provide additional documentation at any time.
⚠️ 3. Special Reminder: Digital Audits Make “Falsification” Harder
This process is not just about data collection; it aims to automate the audit of core data:
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Supply Chain Traceability: Transaction chains, invoices, quantities, and timestamps will be automatically compared by the system, and mismatches in upstream and downstream declarations will trigger alerts.
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Source Plot: Coordinates will be compared with remote sensing databases, and discrepancies with satellite imagery will be immediately exposed.
👉 This means: Past attempts by some companies to use various sources of logging certificates, coordinates, etc., to fabricate “compliance documents” will find it difficult to evade the digital system’s machine checks.
🛰️ 4. Germany’s Next Step: Developing Stronger Monitoring Systems
In addition to the already launched digital process, BLE is collaborating with the Thünen Institute to initiate a three-year research project “Risk Monitoring Service (RiMoDi)”.
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Objective: To develop a GIS-based risk analysis tool that combines satellite data and land use change information to automatically identify signs of deforestation or degradation.
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Time Frame: From August 2024 to July 2027.
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Verification Method: A layered verification mechanism will be employed—
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All DDS → Automatic data comparison;
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Some high-risk DDS → Desktop image analysis;
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Individual cases → Cloud remote sensing processing;
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Individual cases → Manual interpretation using ultra-high-resolution images.
📌 This means: Germany is not only managing the present but also preparing for the future. In the coming years, inspection methods will become increasingly precise and stringent.
✅ 5. Implications for Chinese Export Enterprises
The digital process in Germany sends a clear signal:
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EUDR compliance has been substantively implemented in EU member states;
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If preparations are not made quickly, the barriers to entering the EU market will continue to rise;
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Having only FSC/PEFC certification is insufficient; it is necessary to provide geographical coordinates, legitimacy documents, and full supply chain data;
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The sooner internal data collection and management processes are practiced, the better companies can proactively respond to compliance checks.
✍️ Conclusion
Gallop has always emphasized:EUDR compliance should not wait until the day the regulation takes effect, but must be practiced in advance.
The release of the digital process by BLE further proves this point.
📌 For enterprises,the earlier they act, the more competitive they will remain in the EU market.