As reported by the European Commission, it published a first benchmarking list on 22 May 2025 as part of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which classifies countries into the risk categories "low", "medium" or "high". This country classification takes into account the risk of deforestation in the production of the raw materials covered by the regulation (wood, cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber and soya), which are considered to be the main cause of deforestation.
The published risk classification of countries defines the level of compliance controls that the competent authorities of the Member States must provide for a country: one per cent for "low risk", three per cent for "standard" and nine per cent for "high risk". Sourcing from low-risk countries (e.g. China) simplifies the due diligence obligations for operators and sellers under Article 13 of the EUDR, as they need to collect information but do not need to assess and mitigate risks. For non-listed countries, a normal risk applies. Countries classified as high risk are subject to UN Security Council or EU Council sanctions on imports or exports of the relevant commodities and products. These are Belarus, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), Myanmar and Russia.
Questions about the EUDR Deforestation Regulation? The trade-e-bility consulting team will be happy to help you via +49/40/750687-300 or send us an e-mail.
