The EU’s Information System for EUDR, TRACES NT, went dark in February for a rebuild. It came back online in June, with more rolling out over the summer. Here’s what changed, and what it means if you’re filing before December.
- New roles can register. Micro and small primary operators, downstream operators, and traders now have a formal place in the system. If that’s you, this is the first point you can actually create an account and start testing.
- Smaller operators get one simplified declaration. Instead of filing a new statement for every shipment, eligible small producers file once and update only when something changes.
- Shipments can be grouped. Instead of filing a new statement for every shipment, eligible small producers file once and update only when something changes.
- API access for bulk submission. Worth flagging to your IT team. Companies can now integrate their own systems directly with the Information System instead of manual entry. For anyone managing thousands of farmer records and polygons, that’s the difference between compliance being a pipeline and compliance being data entry.
- A real contingency plan. There’s now a documented fallback for when the system goes down mid-filing, and clearer rules on statements that couldn’t be submitted on time because of it. Previously, that gap simply didn’t exist.
What hasn’t changed
The dates are fixed: 30 December 2026 for large and medium operators, 30 June 2027 for micro and small. The Commission has said the core regulation won’t be reopened and there are no further delays coming. Geolocation, legality evidence, and risk assessment requirements are untouched, only the filing mechanics changed. And downstream operators still have to register, keep upstream DDS references on file, and answer for their supply chain if asked, even though they’re no longer filing a statement of their own.
One more thing worth watching if you’re in coffee: a separate, still-draft proposal would add soluble coffee to EUDR’s scope. Different process, same regulation, worth keeping an eye on.
Why it matters
A working system removes the last excuse to wait. There are roughly six months between now and the first enforcement deadline. That’s a testing window, not a grace period.
Filing into TRACES NT is only as good as what you’re feeding it. If plot-level data, supplier records, and due diligence documentation are scattered across spreadsheets, field notebooks, and someone’s inbox, a faster filing process just gets you to the same reconciliation problem sooner.
Farmforce exists to close that gap: capturing farmer, plot, and compliance data at the first mile in a structure that’s ready to move into TRACES NT, rather than needing to be rebuilt for it in November. If you want to see what that looks like for your supply chain before December, get in touch.
