The official EUDR due diligence statement template is the information list in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115. The actual DDS form you fill is generated by TRACES-NT, there is no separate official PDF form to download. This page lists every required field, so it can be printed or copied into an internal template. Articles 9, 10 and 11 define the evidence, risk assessment and mitigation behind the statement. Keeping those layers separate prevents a common mistake: a complete form supported by an incomplete due diligence file. The rules first apply on 30 December 2026 or 30 June 2027, depending on operator size and EUTR history.
What the signature legally confirms
Submitting the DDS confirms that due diligence was carried out and found no or only negligible risk that the relevant products breach the EUDR deforestation-free or legality requirements. The deforestation test uses the 31 December 2020 cutoff. The operator remains responsible even when an authorised representative submits. Do not sign while an origin is missing, evidence is unverified, mitigation is open, or residual risk is more than negligible.
EUDR DDS template: every Annex II field
| Field | What to prepare | Completion rule |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | Legal company name and registered address | Match the operator profile and customs documents exactly. |
| EORI | Economic Operators Registration and Identification number | Required when the product enters or leaves the EU market. |
| Product | Annex I HS code, free-text description and trade name | For wood, add the common name and full scientific species name where applicable. |
| Quantity | Net mass in kilograms and any applicable tariff supplementary unit | Reconcile the declared amount with invoice, packing list and customs data. |
| Country of production | Country and relevant region for every commodity source | Do not substitute country of dispatch or processing for country of production. |
| Geolocation | Every production plot, linked to the product and production date or time range | Point at 4 hectares or less, perimeter polygon above 4 hectares. |
| Declaration | Annex II confirmation that due diligence was carried out and no or only negligible risk was found | This covers both deforestation-free and legality requirements. |
| Signature | Company represented, date, responsible person name and function | The named signatory acts for the operator. |
TRACES-NT also uses workflow data such as activity type and your optional internal reference. Those help route and reconcile the record, but they are not substitutes for the Annex II content above.
The supporting file: required evidence that is not pasted into the template
A DDS is a conclusion, not the entire due diligence file. Keep the following material behind each field so a competent authority can test the statement:
- Supply-chain references: supplier and business-customer names, postal addresses and email addresses, plus purchase orders, invoices, lot IDs, transport records and the DDS reference passed to the first downstream buyer.
- Deforestation-free proof: adequately conclusive and verifiable evidence for every plot against the 31 December 2020 cutoff, including geometry version, datasets, screening result and reviewer.
- Legality proof: evidence for applicable production-country law, including land-use rights, environmental and forest rules, third-party rights, labour and human rights, tax, anti-corruption, trade and customs requirements where relevant.
- Article 10 risk assessment: a documented check of country and forest risk, Indigenous Peoples and claims, document reliability, governance concerns, supply-chain complexity, mixing or circumvention, substantiated concerns and any other risk signal.
- Article 11 mitigation: any extra documents, independent survey or audit, traceability correction, supplier action or plot exclusion used to reduce risk, followed by the residual no-or-negligible-risk conclusion.
Geolocation field: the 4-hectare rule without ambiguity
For commodities other than cattle, record all production plots. A single latitude and longitude point using at least six decimal digits is sufficient when a plot is 4 hectares or less. A polygon with enough coordinate points to describe the perimeter is mandatory when the plot is more than 4 hectares. A product made from multiple plots needs every plot, not a cooperative centroid. Cattle use the geolocation of every establishment where animals were kept. Validate the exact GeoJSON profile accepted by TRACES and the wider EUDR geolocation rules before filing.
Worked DDS template: Brazilian coffee import
This illustrative Brazilian coffee declaration example shows what a complete preparation sheet looks like for one consignment. It is not a reusable legal declaration and its identifiers are fictional.
| DDS field | Worked value | Evidence behind it |
|---|---|---|
| Operator and EORI | Verde Porto Coffee SRL, Via Porto 14, Trieste; IT123456789012 | Operator profile, EORI validation and importer customs record |
| Activity and internal reference | Import; VP-2026-041 | Purchase file and shipment register |
| Product and quantity | HS 0901; Brazil Arabica green beans; 18,000 kg | Invoice, packing list and bill of lading |
| Production origin | Brazil, Minas Gerais; January to March 2026 | Cooperativa Vale Verde lot CVV-44 and farm records |
| Plot 1 | Fazenda Boa Vista, 3.2 hectares, six-decimal point | BR-MG-001, point allowed because area is no larger than 4 hectares |
| Plot 2 | Fazenda Lago Azul, 12.6 hectares, perimeter polygon BR-CAF-002 | BR-MG-002, polygon required because area is above 4 hectares |
| Legality and deforestation | Applicable documents checked; no forest loss after 31 December 2020 | CAR references, land-use documents, supplier invoices and dated plot screening |
| Risk and mitigation | Boundary mismatch corrected; residual risk negligible | Corrected GeoJSON, independent document check and signed assessment |
| Declaration and signature | Annex II confirmation signed for the importer by its responsible manager | Approval record and submission audit trail |
From completed template to submitted DDS
- Freeze the consignment scope and reconcile every supplier lot, product line, quantity and plot.
- Finish the Article 9 evidence review, Article 10 risk assessment and any Article 11 mitigation.
- Create the DDS in TRACES-NT and enter operator, activity, product, quantity, country and all geolocations.
- Review the declaration and signature, then submit before placing the product on the market or exporting it.
- Wait until the DDS is usable, then capture its reference and verification numbers and place the reference in customs data where required.
- Pass the reference to the first downstream buyer and retain the statement and supporting evidence for five years.
For the account setup, screen sequence and submission statuses, follow the step-by-step TRACES-NT filing walkthrough.
What TRACES-NT returns after submission
- Reference number: the DDS identifier associated with the product, used in customs where required and passed to the first downstream buyer.
- Verification number: the security value used with the reference to validate the statement in supported workflows.
- Status and audit trail: the system record showing whether the DDS is submitted, available, rejected, amended or withdrawn.
Store the returned numbers against the same consignment and evidence version used to prepare the form. The five-year retention guide shows the complete audit-file structure.
The 2025 change: no upstream-reference field in the DDS template
Annex II point 4, which previously covered references to existing DDSs, was deleted by the December 2025 amendment. Under the current structure, upstream operators submit DDSs and pass the resulting reference number to their first downstream buyer. Downstream operators and traders keep the applicable supplier, buyer and upstream reference information for at least five years instead of submitting another DDS. Micro or small primary operators in low-risk countries use a one-time simplified declaration and receive a declaration identifier. Keep these routes separate when choosing a template.
One DDS per consignment is the safest operating baseline
Use one DDS per consignment when flows, quantities or plot sets change. It gives customs, buyers and auditors an unambiguous link between goods and evidence. Controlled annual or grouped submissions may cover repeat flows where the rules and Information System functions permit, but every shipment still needs a clear mapping to the correct product quantity, origin set and live reference. Never reuse a DDS merely because the supplier name is unchanged.
Amendment and withdrawal
A submitted DDS can generally be amended or withdrawn within 72 hours after its reference number is provided, unless it has already been used in customs, used by another permitted system record, selected for a check, or the product has moved. Keep the same source template and evidence snapshot so you can identify exactly what changed. After the window, a material correction normally needs a new statement and reference.
Template completion failures to catch
- Company name, address or EORI differs from the operator profile or customs declaration.
- HS code is outside Annex I, too broad, or inconsistent with the commercial product.
- Quantity is lower than the consignment or omits a required supplementary unit.
- Country of dispatch is entered instead of production country, or one source country is missing.
- A plot is missing, a point is used above 4 hectares, or a polygon is invalid.
- Legality or deforestation evidence is merely collected, not verified.
- Risk assessment is generic, mitigation has no closure evidence, or residual risk remains more than negligible.
- Reference and verification numbers are not linked back to the consignment and five-year file.
plotvera turns the same preparation sheet into validated geolocation, screening evidence and a TRACES-ready document pack. You review the evidence and submit the DDS. For commodity-specific inputs, continue with the coffee, timber or cattle and leather guide.