EUDR Information System (TRACES) registration: what operators must do before the 30 December 2026 deadline
By Sandra Nansbuga
EUDR Information System (TRACES) registration: what operators must do before the 30 December 2026 deadline
The European Commission's EUDR Information System, the dedicated TRACES-based tool for filing due diligence statements under the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), is open on its production server, and operators placing coffee on the EU market must be registered and ready to file before the EUDR starts applying on 30 December 2026 for large and medium-sized operators. The system reopened at the end of June 2026 after technical updates, and the Commission has resumed training for upstream operators ahead of that application date. For Ugandan green coffee exporters and the EU buyers they supply, registration on the correct server and submission of due diligence statements is now the central compliance task.
The Information System is a specialised online tool of the TRACES platform, according to the European Commission. It lets operators and their authorised representatives create due diligence statements and simplified declarations and submit them to the relevant authorities to show their products do not cause deforestation. The system operates under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/3084, as amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1565.
Two separate environments matter. The PRODUCTION server is where operators create and file statements that carry legal value and that competent authorities can check. The ACCEPTANCE server is a replica of the production environment used for training, familiarisation and testing, and submissions there have no legal value. Because registering in one environment does not grant access to the other, operators must complete separate registrations for each.
The steps operators must finish ahead of the deadline start with registering on the PRODUCTION server. Under the rules of the system, operators then prepare geolocation data for their product origins: they can draw areas on a map or provide coordinates individually or in bulk, with coordinates uploadable in bulk using the GeoJSON standard format. For each due diligence statement, the operator selects the product type and indicates its HS code, product description and quantity. Statements are managed and their processing status tracked in a dashboard, and operators can also submit statements in bulk through a machine-to-machine connection using an Application Programming Interface (API), with the API reference documentation published on CIRCABC. The Commission also points to training sessions for upstream operators resuming after the system reopened, and notes the Information System User Guide is being updated to reflect the amended provisions.
What this means for buyers
Coffee is one of the seven commodities covered by the EUDR, and green coffee is squarely in scope, so the December 2026 date governs most commercial volume. The Regulation applies from 30 December 2026 for large and medium-sized operators and for micro and small operators already covered by the EU Timber Regulation, and from 30 June 2027 for other micro and small operators, as confirmed by the European Commission. For procurement planning, the practical implication is that exporters must hold plot-level geolocation data for every supply origin well before the shipping window, because a due diligence statement with a valid reference number must exist before the product is placed on the EU market. Buyers should start asking origin suppliers for their TRACES registration status and statement workflow early, and should verify that supplier geolocation files are in GeoJSON, since that is the format the system accepts for bulk upload. Contract timing should account for the fact that statements are filed before export, not at the border, so a late registration translates directly into delayed shipments and contract penalties.
One scope change deserves attention. The Commission's July 2026 Delegated Act adds soluble coffee to the product list, but that new product becomes subject to the Regulation only from 30 December 2027. Buyers handling instant coffee therefore have a separate, later preparation window, while buyers of green beans face the immediate December 2026 deadline. Pricing and contracting should also reflect the administrative cost of building and maintaining the geolocation datasets that the Information System requires, and operators should use the ACCEPTANCE server to test submissions before going live, so that the first production filing is not a trial run.
FAQ
1. When must operators be registered and submit due diligence statements? Before placing an in-scope product on the EU market or exporting it, and the EUDR begins to apply on 30 December 2026 for large and medium-sized operators, including micro and small operators already covered by the EU Timber Regulation, and on 30 June 2027 for other micro and small operators.
2. Is there a difference between the production and acceptance servers? Yes. Statements submitted on the production server carry legal value and can be checked by competent authorities, while the acceptance server is for training and testing only and its submissions have no legal value. Separate registration is required for each environment.
3. What product data is needed to file a due diligence statement? Operators select the product type and indicate HS code, product description and quantity, and they must provide geolocation for product origins, drawn on a map or given as coordinates, with bulk upload supported in the GeoJSON format.
Sources: EC Green Forum (EUDR Information System) | EC Environment news