0The programme in brief
Who it is for and what it delivers
The EUDR requires that soy and its derivatives only enter the European market if they are deforestation-free, produced in accordance with the law of the country of production and covered by a due diligence statement (Art. 3). This programme verifies, independently, whether the client meets those three pillars — and organises the evidence so the client can demonstrate its due diligence.
| Topic | How the programme handles it |
|---|---|
| Who it is for | Cooperatives, grain handlers, processors and farmers in the soy chain. |
| What it delivers | Independent verification, a report with auditable evidence and the Certificate, which grants the right to use the EUDR Readiness Verified Seal within the approved scope. |
| Who verifies | Brasil Sustentabilidade, as a third party: neither the client nor the buyer. |
| Status | Under development: the first version of the process is ready and is now going through simulation and testing. The final rules will be published before verifications open. |
1What it covers
Soy and the derivatives covered by the EUDR
The scope is soy and the derivatives listed in Annex I to the regulation, identified by customs code:
| Code | Product |
|---|---|
| 1201 | Soya beans, whether or not broken |
| 1208 10 | Soya bean flour |
| 1507 | Soya bean oil and its fractions |
| 2304 | Oilcake and other solid residues from the extraction of soya bean oil |
2What the programme is not
First things first
- It is not an official European Union certification. The EU does not recognise any official EUDR certification, and no certificate replaces the due diligence statement.
- It does not transfer responsibility. Legal responsibility remains entirely with the operator placing the product on the European market. Certification may be used as information in risk assessment (Art. 10(2)(n)), but it does not replace it.
- It is not a permanent guarantee. The Certificate attests that, on the date and within the scope verified, the requirements were met based on the evidence presented.
3The six requirements verified
What the client has to demonstrate
| Requirement | What is verified | Basis in the EUDR |
|---|---|---|
| 1. No deforestation | Production plots free of deforestation after 31/12/2020, by cross-checking geolocation against forest cover data. | Art. 2(13); Art. 3(a) |
| 2. Legality of production | Compliance with applicable Brazilian law: environmental (Forest Code, CAR, Legal Reserve, Permanent Preservation Areas), labour (NR-31), land tenure and permits. | Art. 2(40); Art. 3(b) |
| 3. Geolocation of plots | Coordinates with at least six decimal places; polygon for plots above 4 ha. | Art. 2(28); Art. 9 |
| 4. Traceability | Linking soy to the plots it came from along the chain, with soy separable from corn and sunflower in records and in storage. | Art. 9; Art. 10(2)(j) |
| 5. Due diligence | Information gathering, risk assessment and, where needed, mitigation down to negligible risk. | Arts. 8 to 11 |
| 6. Data for the declaration | Complete and consistent information for the TRACES declaration: geolocation, product code, quantity, country and links in the chain. | Art. 4; Annex II |
4How it works
From request to Certificate, in seven steps
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Request | The client requests verification; scope and absence of impediments are checked. |
| 2. Document review | Examination of documents and data before verification. |
| 3. Verification | Independent checking — documentary, remote and, where risk requires, on site. Data from any platform covering 100% of sourcing is accepted as input evidence and is checked on a sample basis. |
| 4. Non-conformities | The client corrects what failed, within a set deadline and with evidence of the correction. Deforestation after the cut-off date is disqualifying. |
| 5. Decision | The technical lead decides based on the report: certify, certify with conditions or refuse. |
| 6. Issuance | Issuance of the attestation and of the Certificate, with registration. |
| 7. Surveillance | Monitoring during validity and reassessment for renewal. |
5Impartiality
Whoever verifies cannot have an interest in the outcome
- Own decision: certifying or not is a decision solely of Brasil Sustentabilidade, based on documentary evidence.
- Fees not contingent on the outcome: we charge for the verification carried out, never for approving.
- Exclusion for conflict: organisations that Brasil Sustentabilidade helps to develop or advises cannot be certified by it — you do not certify what you helped to build.
- Right of appeal: every client may challenge a decision, and the appeal is reviewed by someone who did not take the original decision.
The verification method follows the ABNT NBR ISO 19011 guidelines for auditing.
6The Certificate and the Seal
What the Certificate attests — and what the Seal communicates
| It communicates | It does not communicate |
|---|---|
| That the operation was verified by a third party, within the scope and on the date indicated. | That the product was approved by the European Union. |
| That the evidence for the six requirements was checked and is organised. | That the operator is exempt from due diligence and from the TRACES declaration. |
| That verification follows public rules for decisions and for use of the Seal. | Compliance of products outside the certified scope. |
The rules for using the Seal — who may use it, where to apply it, for how long and what counts as misuse — will be published in the Certificate scheme rules, before verifications open.
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