EUDR FAQ

What is the EUDR?

The EU Deforestation Regulation (Regulation 2023/1115, commonly called "EUDR") requires operators and traders placing certain commodities on the EU market to demonstrate that those products were not produced on land subject to deforestation or forest degradation after 31 December 2020.

What commodities does the EUDR cover?

Seven commodity groups and their derived products:

• Cattle — beef, leather, tallow
• Soy — soybean oil, soy meal, tofu
• Palm oil — palm kernel oil, oleochemicals
• Cocoa — chocolate, cocoa butter
• Coffee — roasted, instant, extracts
• Rubber — tyres, latex products
• Wood — timber, furniture, paper, printed products

The full list of product codes is in Annex I of the regulation.

What is the cutoff date?

31 December 2020. Products sourced from land that was deforested after this date cannot be placed on the EU market, regardless of whether the deforestation was legal in the country of origin.

Who does the EUDR apply to?

Operators (companies placing products on the EU market for the first time) and traders (companies making products available on the market after initial placement). Large operators must comply from 30 December 2025. SMEs have until 30 June 2026.

What are the penalties for non-compliance?

Fines of up to 4% of EU-wide annual turnover. Additional penalties may include confiscation of products, exclusion from public procurement, and prohibition from placing products on the EU market.

Does the EUDR apply to products produced outside the EU?

Yes. The EUDR applies regardless of where the commodity was produced. If the product enters the EU market, it must comply. This is why suppliers worldwide — from Brazilian ranchers to Indonesian palm oil plantations — are affected.

What geolocation data is required?

Article 9 requires geolocation for every plot of land where the commodity was produced:

• Plots under 4 hectares: a single latitude/longitude coordinate point
• Plots of 4 hectares or more: a polygon boundary defining the plot perimeter

What format should the geolocation data be in?

The EUDR does not mandate a specific file format. Common formats include KML/KMZ (Google Earth), Shapefile, GeoJSON, and coordinate lists (CSV). Canopex accepts KML, KMZ, GeoJSON, and direct coordinate input.

Do I need geolocation for every property in the supply chain?

Yes. For cattle, this means every property where the animal was raised — not just the final farm before slaughter. For crops, it means every plot where the commodity was grown. Indirect suppliers are included.

What if my supplier won't provide geolocation data?

Without geolocation data, you cannot complete the due-diligence statement required by the EUDR. You would need to either obtain the data from the supplier, use an alternative supplier who can provide it, or accept the compliance risk. The regulation places the burden on the operator, not the supplier.

How does satellite analysis help with EUDR compliance?

Satellite imagery provides objective, timestamped evidence of land cover before and after the cutoff date. By analysing vegetation indices (NDVI), change detection algorithms, and authoritative deforestation datasets, satellite analysis can determine whether deforestation occurred on a specific plot of land after 31 December 2020.

Is satellite analysis legally sufficient for EUDR compliance?

Satellite analysis provides evidence to support due diligence — it does not replace the full due-diligence obligation. Operators must also consider supplier declarations, certifications, and other relevant information. Canopex provides the geolocation evidence component; the operator remains responsible for the overall due-diligence statement.

What is NDVI and why does it matter?

NDVI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index) measures vegetation health using the ratio of near-infrared to red light reflected by the surface. Healthy vegetation reflects more NIR light, producing high NDVI values (0.3–0.8). Bare soil or cleared land has low NDVI (0.0–0.2). A sudden drop in NDVI indicates vegetation removal — potential deforestation.

See the glossary for more technical terms.

How far back can the analysis go?

Sentinel-2 data is available from 2017. Landsat extends the record back to 2013. Together, they provide 13+ years of vegetation history — well before the EUDR cutoff date of 31 December 2020.

What about cloud cover?

Tropical regions often have persistent cloud cover. Canopex uses cloud-masking algorithms (SCL for Sentinel-2, QA_PIXEL for Landsat) to exclude cloudy observations. The system selects the least-cloudy scenes within each seasonal window and can draw on radar data (ALOS PALSAR) that penetrates clouds.

How long does an assessment take?

Typically 3–5 minutes per area of interest. Upload your KML/KMZ file, and Canopex automatically acquires imagery, computes NDVI, runs change detection, and produces a determination.

Do I need GIS expertise?

No. Canopex is designed for compliance officers, procurement teams, and sustainability managers who are not GIS specialists. Upload a boundary file and the system handles the satellite analysis automatically.

Can I analyse multiple plots at once?

Yes. A single KML/KMZ file can contain multiple areas of interest. Each area receives its own independent assessment and determination.

What output formats are available?

PDF reports (for auditors and filing), GeoJSON (for GIS integration), and CSV (for spreadsheet analysis). All formats include the full evidence chain: coordinates, NDVI statistics, change detection results, and determination.

Is there a free trial?

Yes. Your first EUDR assessment is free — no credit card required. Start your free assessment →