What is the EUDR and Why it Matters to Publishers and Retailers

The European Union has introduced the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) whose objective is to ensure that products such as magazines, books, catalogs, and inserts placed on the EU market or exported from it do not originate from deforested or forest-degraded land and are produced in accordance with the legislation of the country of production.

The regulation was adopted on 31 May 2023 and the main compliance date for many large operators is 30 December 2025. The original date was 30 December 2024, but this was delayed and there are rumors it may be delayed again.

If you publish or import printed materials into the EU, you must ensure your paper inputs are traceable to a compliant source and you must maintain the documentation.

Key requirements of the regulation include:

• The requirement to conduct due diligence: collect and verify information about the origin of the relevant raw materials and products, assess risk of non-compliance, and mitigate that risk.
• The requirement that relevant products be deforestation-free (i.e., they did not originate from land deforested after 31 December 2020) and comply with the applicable laws of the producing country.
• For relevant products such as paper-based products, registration in the EU's information system by submitting a due diligence statement.

Some of the major implications for the print industry:

• The requirement to trace and document the origin of the paper used on the printed product and to show that it is compliant with the regulation.
• Supply chains will face increased costs, complexity and data burden.
• Regulators will expect that every paper reel that ends up in printed catalogs, magazines, books or inserts delivered into Europe is under a traceable chain of custody.

How Go2Paper's PaperManager platform helps publishers comply

At Go2Paper, we recognize that this new regulatory environment creates real challenges for many of our clients (Magazine Publishers, Book Publishers, Retailers, Catalogers, and Direct Mailers) especially when you receive paper from multiple mills then print for distribution across Europe. To meet the EUDR's requirements we have enhanced our SaaS platform, PaperManager, to support you in two ways:

1. Displaying Verification Numbers and Reference Numbers for each reel of paper

In collaboration with your mill suppliers, we now capture and display the Verification Number and Reference Number associated with each paper reel within our platform. These numbers serve as traceability identifiers, enabling you to link the physical reel in your supply chain with the due diligence information required by the EUDR.

When the mill provides these identifiers, they are stored in PaperManager per order, per shipment and per reel ID making them accessible at any time for audit, for internal reporting, or for submission to regulators.

2. Streamlined compliance reporting and documentation

Beyond simply storing identifiers, PaperManager enables you to:

• Maintain a digital ledger of paper reels and their assigned verification/reference numbers, linked to the actual printed catalog, magazine, book or insert.
• In collaboration with the printers, associate each printed job with the specific paper reel(s) used, enabling you to demonstrate which physical paper source contributed to which printed piece delivered into the market.
• Pull reports showing:
  • the paper reel identifier (verification/reference number)
  • the mill name and location
  • the printed piece using that reel
  • the quantity and date of print/distribution
• Provide quick access for regulatory inspections or internal audits because you hold traceability data linked to each reel and print job.

Why this matters

• Under the EUDR, failure to provide adequate due diligence, or placing a relevant product on the EU market that cannot be shown to be deforestation-free and legally produced, could expose a company to enforcement actions and penalties.
• For a publisher, the pressure is not only upstream (paper mills, fibre origin) but downstream (print runs, distribution) because you are placing printed products on the European market and thus you must show that the paper content meets the regulation's chain-of-custody requirements.
• By using PaperManager to record, track and report the verification/reference numbers per reel and by linking them to print jobs and deliveries you are better positioned to respond swiftly to regulatory enquiries.
• It enhances your credibility with customers, auditors, certification bodies and regulators, and supports your sustainability commitments.
• It reduces manual effort and risk: instead of spreadsheets, manual records and fragmented data across suppliers, our platform centralizes the traceability data in a format ready for compliance.

Final thoughts

The EUDR marks a significant shift in how supply chains in the paper and printing industries must operate. Traceability, documentation, and proof of sustainable and legal sourcing are no longer optional, they are regulatory obligations. Publishers that rely on paper delivered and printed into Europe must adapt to this new reality.

By using PaperManager to capture, track and report the Verification Number and Reference Number of each paper reel and by linking that data to your printed outputs you are equipping your business with the tools to meet your legal obligations, manage risk, and demonstrate to regulators that you are compliant.

As we learn more about our clients' needs and how we can better support this regulation we will continue to add features to PaperManager to support the paper industry.