Due diligence statement (DDS) | EUDR glossary

The regulation does not define the statement in its list of definitions; it describes it in Article 4(2). In short, it is the operator's declaration, submitted through the Information System before the goods are placed on the market or exported, that due diligence was carried out and that no or only a negligible risk was found.

What it contains

Annex II lists the contents (Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, Annex II). For geolocation, the relevant item is the country of production and "the geolocation of all plots of land where the relevant commodities were produced" and, for cattle, all the establishments where the animals were kept. That is the GeoJSON file.

What the operator takes on

By making the statement available, "the operator shall assume responsibility for the compliance of the relevant product" (Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, Art. 4(3)), and must keep a record of it for five years.

Limits that affect the file

The geolocation attached to one statement may not exceed 25 MB (Information System validation rules, Geolocation data size). Statements already submitted can be grouped under a new statement that references them (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1565, Art. 8a).