EU Deforestation Regulation DDS reference numbers

A DDS reference number supports traceability after an operator has completed the EUDR due diligence sequence and made the due diligence statement available through the Article 33 information system. The system assigns a reference number for each submitted due diligence statement. For micro or small primary operators using the simplified route, the parallel handoff is the declaration identifier assigned after the one-time declaration.

Use the number to link three things that are often held in different systems: the supplier or operator that made the EUDR filing, the relevant product or shipment record, and the downstream recipient that needs the reference to keep its own Article 5 information file.

When the immediate supplier is an operator, downstream operators and traders must record its details and the DDS reference number or declaration identifier before placing, making available, or exporting the product. When the immediate supplier is a downstream operator or trader, Article 5(3)(a) requires supplier details but does not require collection of that identifier.

For customs, export, logistics, and broker handoffs, carry the same EUDR reference field on the movement record and tie it back to the product line. Article 26 normally requires the reference number or declaration identifier before release for free circulation or export, but excludes exports by a downstream operator from that paragraph. Keep the control focused on the official identifier unless an official filing output or broker instruction requires an additional field.

Keep enough evidence to show what the reference number points to and who relied on it. The number alone does not prove deforestation-free status, lawful production, or no/negligible risk; those conclusions sit in the due diligence file behind the statement.

A useful record lets a reviewer answer four questions quickly: which EUDR product movement used the reference, who supplied it, which downstream actor received it, and where the underlying due diligence or simplified declaration record is retained.

A DDS reference number identifies a filing; it does not certify compliance. Operators retain the statement and Article 9 evidence, together with the Article 10 assessment and any Article 11 mitigation where required. Under Article 13, retain the evidence supporting simplified due diligence instead. Article 5 downstream information duties are separate from the operator's full evidence file.

The information system also assigns an associated verification number to each due diligence statement or simplified declaration as a security number for the data. Keep it distinct from the due diligence statement reference number or declaration identifier and use it where the official information-system workflow requires it.