Coalition on Sustainable Timber

Coalition on
Sustainable Timber

MISSION

The Coalition on Sustainable Timber was formed in 2023 with the aim to bring together key stakeholders to collaborate on developing strategies, policies, and initiatives that support the development of favorable legislation to timber trade, promote a sound and proportionate implementation of legislation and support compliance.

EU LAW

EU Legislation on Deforestation-free products

The European Commission’s May 2026 simplification review of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) provides the clearest indication yet of how implementation is expected to function in practice. While the Commission has confirmed that it does not intend to reopen the core text of the Regulation, the latest updates to the Guidance Document, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and supporting implementation tools introduce a more operational and proportionate approach to compliance.

For the timber sector, the central obligations remain unchanged. Timber products placed on the EU market must still be traceable to the exact plot of harvest, supported by geolocation data, legality documentation and evidence that products are not linked to deforestation or forest degradation after 31 December 2020. However, the updated guidance introduces several practical simplifications, including clearer obligations for downstream operators, more flexibility for Due Diligence Statements (DDS), and improved clarification on the role of certification systems and supply-chain risk assessment.

At the same time, the Commission is placing increasing emphasis on digital traceability, chain-of-custody controls and supplier verification. Complex or mixed-origin timber supply chains are expected to face greater scrutiny, while systems that rely on uncontrolled mixing of timber from unknown sources are unlikely to meet EUDR expectations. Certification schemes remain valuable tools in supporting compliance, but the Commission has reiterated that certification alone cannot replace due diligence obligations.

For timber exporters, these developments reinforce the importance of maintaining robust traceability and legality systems that can provide EU buyers with reliable and verifiable information. This includes geolocation mapping, harvest documentation, species identification, supplier controls and digital record-keeping compatible with the EU Information System.

Overall, the simplification review suggests that the EUDR is evolving toward a more practical implementation framework, without weakening its core environmental objectives. For countries with structured forest governance systems and credible certification frameworks, this may create opportunities to reduce compliance friction and strengthen long-term competitiveness in the EU market.

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Our Position

The Coalition on Sustainable Timber (CST) was established to advocate for a sound and proportionate implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) while supporting companies and exporting countries in complying with its requirements. The Coalition supports the European Union’s efforts to simplify the regulation’s application, provided that simplification measures maintain high standards of sustainable forest management and environmental protection.

In its position paper, the Coalition highlights several practical measures that could improve the workability of the EUDR. First, it calls for the recognition of credible third-party certification schemes as part of the due-diligence process. Where existing national or international certification systems already provide robust verification of legality, traceability and sustainable forest management, these should be taken into account to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens for operators.

The Coalition also stresses the need for practical tools to support species identification in timber products, proposing the development of EU-recognised laboratory or independent testing systems capable of verifying both timber species and origin. In addition, the position paper highlights the compliance challenges associated with composite wood products containing multiple timber components from different sources, calling for clearer and more proportionate rules to ensure that due-diligence obligations remain feasible for operators.

Finally, the Coalition underlines the importance of a transparent and inclusive approach to the upcoming country benchmarking system, which will rely on the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) 2025. CST encourages the European Commission to engage closely with governments, industry stakeholders and third-country exporters to ensure that simplification measures support both effective EUDR implementation and continued progress in the fight against global deforestation.

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