The EUDR Information System Relaunch: What's New and What It Means for How You File
After more than four months in restricted mode, the EUDR Information System - the platform where operators and traders submit their due diligence statements (DDS) - is coming back online. And it's not the same system that went dark in February.
The Commission placed temporary access limitations on the Information System from 16 February 2026, pausing new registrations and submissions on both the live production server and the acceptance (training) environment. The reason: a substantial rebuild was needed to reflect the December 2025 legislative amendments and the May 2026 simplification package. The system is set to become accessible again in June 2026, with additional functionalities rolling out later in the summer, ahead of the regulation's application dates.
This post focuses on what is new in the system itself - the four concrete changes to how filing works - and what each one means in practice. For the step-by-step mechanics of submitting a DDS, see our TRACES NT submission guide. For the broader regulatory picture, see our 2026 Simplification Package overview.
Why the Relaunch Matters
On 4 May 2026, the European Commission presented a package of EUDR measures, including a simplification review report, updated FAQs and guidance, a draft delegated act on product scope, and updates to the Information System via a draft implementing act (press release IP/26/941).
The implementing act on the Information System is the instrument that drives the four filing changes described below. It is adopted through the comitology examination procedure with Member State representatives, meaning the final adopted text may differ from the draft - operators should confirm current specifications in the official Information System documentation once the system reopens.
The headline number from the Commission's review: the combined simplification measures are expected to reduce annual compliance costs for companies subject to EUDR obligations by approximately 75% compared to the original EUDR framework. A significant share of that saving comes directly from the system changes below.
Feature 1: Voluntary Grouping of DDS Reference Numbers
This is the change that business associations have lobbied for most persistently, and it is now confirmed.
The grouping function lets operators bundle multiple due diligence statements rather than filing them one by one. In practice, if you ship many similar consignments covered by shared due diligence - for example, multiple deliveries from one verified plot or a master DDS covering a batch of shipments - you can group them under a single reference rather than generating a separate DDS for each movement.
The feature is explicitly described as voluntary: operators who prefer to continue filing individually can do so. The grouping rules themselves will be published in the final implementing act and the updated Information System documentation; the exact mechanics (how many statements can be grouped, what shared data fields are required) are not yet fully specified in the draft. Map your shipment patterns now so you can assess whether grouping will reduce your submission overhead once the rules are confirmed.
Grouping is optional — you are not required to use it. But if you handle high volumes of similar shipments from verified origins, it could substantially cut the number of individual DDS submissions you need to manage. Review your shipment patterns against the grouping rules once they are published in the final implementing act.
Feature 2: A Shorter Declaration for Micro and Small Primary Operators
The December 2025 legislative revision created a new category: the micro and small primary operator - essentially small-scale farmers, growers, or harvesters in low-risk countries who directly place their own produce on the EU market for the first time. These actors face a very simplified due diligence regime under the amended regulation.
The Information System is now being updated to match. The relaunch will introduce a dedicated, shorter declaration form for this category, aligned with the existing DDS format but stripped of data fields that are not required under the simplified regime. This means micro and small primary operators will not be forced to navigate a full DDS form designed for large importers - they will have a purpose-built submission path.
Registration for this new role is also being added to the system, alongside registration for downstream operators and traders - roles that the December 2025 amendments formally defined for the first time.
Micro and small operators (outside the timber sector) have a compliance deadline of 30 June 2027, giving them more runway than large operators. But the system will be ready for them from the June relaunch, so there is no reason to wait until 2027 to register and test the simplified form.
Feature 3: Refreshed API and Automated Interface Specifications
For companies and software providers that connect to the Information System programmatically - rather than through the web interface - this is the most technically significant change.
The implementing act introduces updated specifications for the automated application interfaces (APIs). The refresh is designed to reflect all the changes introduced by the December 2025 revision: new roles, the simplified declaration format, and the grouping function all need to be surfaced through the API, not just the web UI.
The current API reference documentation is publicly available on CIRCABC, but it is being updated to reflect the amended regulation. If your compliance workflow relies on system-to-system integration or bulk filing, your development team should:
- Monitor the CIRCABC repository for the updated API specification once the system reopens.
- Test against the acceptance (training) environment before submitting to the live production server.
- Confirm that your integration handles the new role types and, if relevant, the grouping function.
The Commission has also confirmed that the updated webservice specifications will mirror existing system functionalities - meaning the core data model is not being redesigned from scratch, but extended.
Feature 4: A Formal Contingency Plan for System Outages
This is a quiet but operationally important addition. Until now, there was no formalised fallback procedure for what happens if the Information System is unavailable when you need to submit a DDS.
That gap matters because DDS submission is a prerequisite for customs clearance. System downtime carries direct operational risk: goods can be held at the border if a DDS reference number cannot be generated. The new implementing act addresses this by introducing a formal contingency plan - formalising fallback procedures for when the system is down and clarifying the legal status of statements that cannot be submitted on time due to unavailability.
The specific contingency procedures will be published as part of the implementing act. Operators and logistics teams should build awareness of these procedures into their compliance runbooks before the December 2026 application date.
What This Means for Operators, Traders, and Software Integrators
Here is a quick summary of who should prioritise what:
| Audience | Key action |
|---|---|
| Large/medium operators | Assess whether voluntary grouping fits your shipment patterns; update your contingency runbook |
| Micro/small primary operators | Register your new role when the system reopens; use the simplified declaration form |
| Traders (downstream) | Register your role in the updated system; confirm your simplified due diligence obligations |
| Software integrators / compliance tech teams | Pull the updated API specs from CIRCABC; test in the acceptance environment |
| All users | Confirm current specs in the official IS documentation - the draft implementing act may change before adoption |
The Deadlines Have Not Changed
The system improvements are simplifications to how you file - they do not alter when you must comply. The application dates are fixed and confirmed:
- 30 December 2026 - large and medium operators and traders, plus micro and small operators in the timber sector
- 30 June 2027 - other micro and small operators (non-timber)
The Commission has explicitly confirmed it will not reopen the legal text of the EUDR and that existing timelines continue to apply. There are no further delays on the table.
What to Do Now
The June relaunch opens a valuable testing window - roughly six months before the first enforcement deadline. Use it.
The Commission's Green Forum IS page is the authoritative source for relaunch timing, updated user guides, and training dates. Bookmark it and check it regularly.
The relaunch adds registration for new roles — micro/small primary operators, downstream operators, and traders. If your role under the amended regulation has changed, update your registration as soon as the system reopens.
The updated API reference documentation will be published on CIRCABC. Engineering teams should retrieve it promptly and test against the acceptance environment before submitting to the live server.
Once the final implementing act is published, compare your typical shipment structure against the grouping criteria. If grouping applies, update your DDS workflow accordingly.
When the formal contingency procedures are published, document them in your compliance runbook so your team knows exactly what to do if the system is unavailable at a critical moment.
The acceptance (training) environment will reopen alongside the production server. Use it to test submissions — especially if you are filing for the first time or using the new simplified declaration form.
A note on timing: The June relaunch delivers the core features. Additional functionalities are scheduled to roll out over the summer of 2026. The exact feature set available at any given moment will depend on where the Commission is in that rollout. Always verify current capabilities and specifications in the official Information System documentation rather than relying on draft implementing act language.
The system is being rebuilt to handle the scale of December 2026. The window to test it - before enforcement begins - is now open.
Related reading
From EUTR to EUDR: The Timber Sector's Transition Guide for 2026
The EU Timber Regulation is repealed on 30 December 2026. Here's what timber and wood-product operators need to know about the EUTR-to-EUDR transition, the SME timing trap, and the legacy-timber overlap.
EUDR Penalties Explained: Fines, Sanctions, and How Enforcement Actually Works
A plain-English breakdown of EUDR penalties under Article 25 - the 4% turnover fine, confiscation, market bans, and how competent authorities will enforce from June 30, 2026.
EUDR Cocoa Compliance: The Practical Guide for Importers, Traders, and Chocolate Makers
Everything cocoa importers, traders, and chocolate manufacturers need to know about EUDR compliance - products in scope, geolocation, mass balance, risk origins, and the December 30, 2026 deadline.