FAQEUDREU

EU Deforestation Regulation DDS reference numbers

DDS reference numbers are the traceable identifiers that connect an EUDR due diligence statement to downstream supply-chain records.

Record them with the product, supplier, downstream recipient, shipment or export handoff, and the retained due diligence file.

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Author
Sorena AI
Published
May 9, 2026
Updated
May 9, 2026
Questions
4

Structured answer sets in this page tree.

Primary sources
3

Cited legal and guidance references.

Publication metadata
Sorena AI
Published May 9, 2026
Updated May 9, 2026
Overview

Under the EU Deforestation Regulation, a due diligence statement reference number is not a marketing label or a substitute for due diligence. It is the identifier that lets operators, downstream operators, traders, brokers, and reviewers connect a product movement back to the EUDR filing or simplified declaration record.

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4 of 4 questions
Question 1

What does an EUDR DDS reference number support?

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. For micro or small primary operators using the simplified route, the parallel handoff is the declaration identifier.

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.

  • Operator filing: keep the due diligence statement record and its reference number together.
  • Downstream handoff: pass the DDS reference number, or declaration identifier where applicable, to downstream operators and traders further down the supply chain.
  • Recipient record: downstream operators and traders should store supplier details, the relevant DDS reference number or declaration identifier, and downstream recipient details.
  • Authority response: keep the record usable for competent-authority requests instead of burying the number in email threads or shipment notes.
Citations
Question 2

How should downstream operators, traders, and customs handoffs record DDS references?

Downstream teams should treat the DDS reference number as a required supply-chain data field, not as optional correspondence. When the supplier is an operator, record the supplier details and the DDS reference number or declaration identifier before the product is placed, made available, or exported under the downstream actor's process.

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. Keep the control focused on the DDS reference number or simplified declaration identifier unless an official filing output or broker instruction requires an additional field.

  • Store the supplier legal name and contact details with the EUDR reference field.
  • Record whether the field is a due diligence statement reference number or a simplified declaration identifier.
  • Map the reference to the product, commodity, lot, purchase order, shipment, export file, or customs broker handoff it supports.
  • Keep downstream recipient details so the same reference can be traced through the next supply-chain step.
  • Escalate missing, mismatched, or stale references before relying on the shipment or sales record as EUDR evidence.
Citations
Question 3

What evidence should teams keep with each EUDR DDS reference number?

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.

  • The due diligence statement reference number or declaration identifier exactly as received from the EUDR information-system workflow.
  • The supplier/operator details and the downstream recipient details linked to the reference.
  • The product, commodity, lot, shipment, invoice, purchase order, or export file that used the reference.
  • The underlying due diligence statement, simplified declaration, or internal link to the retained EUDR filing record.
  • Any later notice that the product may be at risk of non-compliance, plus the authority or downstream notification record where required.
  • A retention marker showing the Article 5 information file is kept for at least five years.
Citations
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Connect DDS reference numbers, declaration identifiers, supplier records, product movements, and downstream handoffs before teams rely on an EUDR shipment or export record.

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Question 4

What is the main mistake to avoid with EUDR DDS reference numbers?

The main mistake is treating the DDS reference number as a standalone compliance certificate. The reference number is a filing and handoff identifier; the substantive compliance case remains the due diligence statement, simplified declaration where applicable, Article 9 evidence, risk assessment, and any risk mitigation record.

Do not build public or internal guidance around assumed verification-number steps. In this FAQ, the supported fields are the due diligence statement reference number and the simplified declaration identifier.

  • Do not replace due diligence evidence with a bare reference number.
  • Do not accept a reference that cannot be tied to the supplier, product, and downstream recipient record.
  • Do not mix DDS reference numbers and simplified declaration identifiers without labeling which route applies.
  • Do not create a separate verification-number workflow from unsupported assumptions.
Citations
Primary sources

References and citations

European Commission EUDR overview
environment.ec.europa.eu
Referenced sections
  • Provides Commission-level public context for the EUDR regime and its focus on deforestation-free products.
"deforestation-free products"
Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 key EUDR obligations
eur-lex.europa.eu
Referenced sections
  • Supports the distinction between the Article 3 compliance conditions, due diligence statement coverage, and the downstream reference-number handoff.
"covered by a due diligence statement or a simplified declaration"
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