Was it produced legally? Understanding the 'legality requirement' in the EU Deforestation Regulation

The EU Deforestation Regulation (“EUDR”) requires that the products to which it applies must have been produced legally - in accordance with local laws - in order to be imported into, bought and sold in the EU. This is known as the ‘legality requirement’. EU companies must conduct due diligence on their supply chains to ensure that their products satisfy the legality requirement - as well as being deforestation-free.

This document is part of an extensive briefing on the EUDR legality requirement. It unpacks the legality requirement – detailing the relevant EUDR provisions, their meaning, and implications for the supply chain due diligence that EU companies must complete.

Part 2 of the legal briefing describes practical considerations for conducting due diligence on the legality requirement. In includes detailed case studies exploring the legal framework, relevant laws, their legal requirements and implementation, and sectoral dynamics in the soy, cattle, cocoa and oil palm sectors in Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Indonesia.