1. 2. 3. The Commission is currently developing a methodology as per its obligations under Article 29 of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The objectives of the benchmarking are twofold: a) Allow Competent Authorities to focus scarce enforcement efforts resources. The higher the risk, the more checks enforcement authorities will perform; b) Target our support to areas and commodities where needs are higher. A specific dialogue is foreseen if a country or parts of a country may be identified as possible ‘high risk’.
The process to develop a methodology of the benchmarking is ongoing. The Commission will ensure that the methodology is solid, transparent and based on objective factors. The three-tier system for the assessment of countries and parts thereof will be based on the latest available scientific evidence and internationally recognized sources, as per Art.29. The commission will ensure that the data used for the assessment is solid and robust.
The EUDR relies on internationally agreed definitions (in particular, the FAO’s definition of ‘forest’, i.e. Article 2 of EUDR). Operators and traders will have to ensure compliance with the EUDR requirements. This includes an obligation to ensure that commodities and products they place or make available on the EU market are ‘deforestation-free’ (as per Art.3 (a)
4. The Commission’s work on the methodology is under way. The methodology will be presented in due time.