EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)

Our industry is strongly engaged with the EU Regulation on deforestation-free supply chains (EUDR or Regulation EU 2023/1115). Libri fully supports the objectives of the EU Deforestation Regulation to protect global natural forests. We are committed to ensuring transparent supply chains. The application of the Regulation has been set for 31 December 2025. As market participants in the book industry, we will all be affected by this regulation and must therefore prepare accordingly.

Our association, the German Publishers and Booksellers Association (Börsenverein), has published detailed implementation guidelines for publishers and booksellers regarding the introduction of the EUDR. These can be found on the association’s website

German Publishers and Booksellers Association (Börsenverein)

Informations for customers

What information will we provide once the Regulation enters into force?

In short, from 30 December 2025 onwards, all newly marketed wood-based products in the EU must provide evidence that they have been manufactured in compliance with the Regulation. This evidence is provided by a number called a Due Diligence Statement (DDS), which will be assigned to new products. For each product number (ISBN / EAN), DDS numbers will be communicated, which a bookseller of such products will be required to record. This will take place via electronically provided product metadata.

Please also note that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will not be required to comply with the EUDR already at the end of 2025, but only from mid-2026 (starting on 1 July). The industry therefore has a transition period of six months, during which not all newly produced or reprinted products will yet require a DDS or be reported with one.

Provision of DDS information

Libri will provide DDS information in several ways so that all partners can easily access it:

  • ONIX exports: Product metadata will always include the complete set of all DDS numbers reported to date. Both the currently valid number and the history of previous submissions will be shown.
  • Data interfaces: The information will be continuously available via WSDL and REST interfaces.
  • Inventory feeds: DDS data will also be included in Libri’s availability notifications.

This ensures that DDS numbers can be read in most ERP systems. They will also be stored in Libri’s Quimus / JWWS systems and can be retrieved in Shopline, Libri’s solution for online retail.

For Suppliers (excluding non-EU countries)

As you may have already read or heard of, the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free products (EUDR or more specific Regulation (EU) 2023/1115) is a concern for the EU book industry. Libri shares the goals of the EUDR to protect the global natural forests. Moreover, we are committed to transparent supply chains.

Today, we would like to inform you about important developments, recommendations for action, and requirements for the upcoming period until December 30th 2025. In adapting our processes, we placed great emphasis on a practical and streamlined implementation in the interest of all parties involved. We have selected a technical service provider that offers a user-friendly supplier portal, flexible interfaces, and a lean technical integration (osapiens SaaS Hub). All these features are aimed at minimizing the implementation effort across the supply chain.

As an importer of wood-related products such as books, Libri is responsible for creating Due Diligence Statements (DDS) for each product to be imported into the EU beginning December 31st 2025. For each product you are offering within the EU please provide the following information prior to shipment to Germany.

 

The following data are required to conduct the EUDR risk assessment and to ensure proper import declaration:  

  • Commercial name of the relevant product (e.g. book, printed product, packaging)
  • Combined Nomenclature (CN) code of the product (e.g. CN 4901 for books)
  • Weight of the product
  • Country of harvest of the wood
  • Geolocation (latitude and longitude) of the plot(s) of land where the wood was harvested. Please report all geolocations for full product in ONIX field 47 EUDR raw material location of ONIX code list 79 and abstain from using codes 48 and 49 for binding or other product parts i.e. retail packaging et al..
  • Date or time range of harvest (of the wood)
  • Statement confirming that the product is deforestation-free and complies with EUDR

Data Transfer

  • The information must be provided in product metadata XML format (ONIX 3) or in CSV format, in accordance with Article 9 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (EUDR)
  • More information on how to structure the data in the metadata feed is provided in the notes to ONIX code list 79 in the ONIX browser by EDItEUR. Please see values 47, 52, 53 and 54.
  • Each non-EU-supplier is required to complete a supplier questionnaire provided by us once a year – this makes an onboarding at osapiens HuB necessary. This serves as a risk-based assessment in line with Regulation (EU) 2023/1115.
ONIX browser by EDItEUR
In addition to the above-mentioned timely data transfer, the following procedural steps are mandatory:
  • To ensure a smooth process, you are required to carry out a batch-specific pre-check in relation to the EUDR. Based on your Article 9 data, we will create and register a Due Diligence Statement (DDS) via the osapiens Saas Hub.
  • For each product, we will receive a DDS reference number through the EU portal solution TRACES. This number(s) will be assigned to the respective imported product in the Libri catalogue metadata of the product in value 50 of code list 79 called EUDR due diligence reference.
  • If you reprint a product with an unchanged ISBN, please transmit the information. On the new places of harvests in addition of the former information in value 47 of code list 79. As long as a product with the same ISBN is available, the information in field 47 will accumulate.
  • Shipment will only be authorized after the DDS has been successfully reviewed, registered, and the initial DDS reference number has been received by Libri. You will receive the DDS number and shipping authorization directly from us.
If no valid DDS number is available…
  • the supplier is requested to carry out a batch-specific pre-check of the land-plot geodata in compliance with EUDR requirements.
  • This pre-check serves solely to minimize potential issues before shipment. Based on this pre-checked information, the importer (Libri) is required to perform the final geodata verification in full compliance with EUDR requirements.
  • To carry out the verification, Libri needs the relevant data via ONIX transfer as early as possible and mandatorily before the physical shipment of goods, to ensure that Libri can subsequently prepare the DDS and verification numbers in the EU portal TRACES.
  • By publishing DDS and verification numbers in the Libri metadata exports, we will inform our customers that the products are compliant with EUDR and available on the European market.

We will publish the further roadmap in due course. Information about expected adjustments to data formats and interface descriptions will be communicated here and directly. The links shown above to the planned ONIX changes will give you an overview of the expected adjustments that must be implemented by the end of the year.

Please note that from the second half of 2026, Libri will only be able to offer products for which all required information has been submitted by suppliers. Thanks to the industry’s thorough preparation on this issue, we assume that our product offering can be largely maintained. Together, we can contribute to sustainable supply chains in our industry.