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The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) ensures that products placed on the EU market do not contribute to global deforestation. For the labeling and packaging industry, this means that paper-based materials must be traceable to the plot of land where the raw materials were harvested.
Navigating deforestation-free packaging
Navigating the changes required by the EUDR can be complex. As your labeling partner, we're here to help clarify the regulation’s impact on our labeling materials and ensure they align with the compliance and deforestation-free requirements defined by the EUDR.
Our goal is to simplify data administration while supporting compliance and minimizing supply chain disruptions. We will continue to monitor guidance and implementation updates from the European Commission and will notify you of further developments.
EUDR: Current requirements and what they mean for our products
June 2026
Following the European Commission's December 2025 amendments to introduce targeted simplifications to the EUDR, additional documentation was published at the end of April 2026. This updated framework provides significant relief by reducing requirements throughout the value chain.
What is now officially confirmed:
EUDR timeline:
- Medium-sized and large companies (all products): The EUDR applies from Dec. 30, 2026.
- Micro and small enterprise companies (paper products): The EUDR applies from Dec. 30, 2026.
- Micro and small enterprise companies (cacao, coffee, palm oil, cattle, rubber and soy products): The EUDR applies from June 30, 2027.
Simplified due diligence requirements
The 2026 EUDR documentation confirms that due diligence remains the responsibility of first operators — the companies that first place relevant products on the EU market. As a result, data management requirements throughout the value chain are being streamlined.
For products supplied by Avery Dennison, due diligence will already have been conducted upstream where required. Downstream operators are generally not required to conduct new due diligence or submit additional due diligence statements (DDS) for these products. Accordingly, Avery Dennison will provide DDS reference numbers for transactions where we act as first operator.
Reference number management
Avery Dennison will send you valid DDS reference numbers for all applicable product lines as and when they are required.
Important: While your obligations related to EUDR due diligence information and DDS reference numbers provided by Avery Dennison have been greatly reduced, you remain responsible for certain EUDR requirements, including, for example:
- Registration within the European Commission’s official digital registry (TRACES)
- Collection and retention of supplier and customer information
Quick facts
Supporting operational readiness
Reputation protection
We help your products stay shelf-ready and mitigate the risks of non-compliance under the EUDR.
Documented traceability
For imports, you can leverage our role as a first operator to facilitate compliance with applicable EUDR requirements, regardless of origin. We handle the “heavy lifting” of geolocation and legality verification, so you can receive DDS numbers directly from us when we act as the first operator.
EUDR-aligned sourcing
We help secure your supply chain with a European portfolio aligned with EUDR standards. We work to maintain our materials' alignment with evolving mandates so you can mitigate regulatory risk and maintain seamless operations.
Downloads
Additional resources
View our EUDR FAQ
Find answers to the most common questions regarding scope, deadlines and data requirements in our comprehensive frequently asked questions document.
Official resources
For the full legal text, complete list of Harmonized System (HS) codes and additional resources, see the official European Commission EUDR page.