Why this page is here
Explaining EU legislation on a site that sells Russian birch veneer may look odd at first. The reason is this: some Turkish wood producers export to the EU, and when those two lines of business get mixed, the outcome suits neither the supplier nor the buyer.
So we set the subject out as it stands rather than as a sales argument — and we say it up front: Russian-origin raw material is not suitable for a production line that exports to the EU.
What EUDR introduces
Regulation: (EU) 2023/1115, the EU Deforestation Regulation. Date of application: 30 December 2026 (deferred twice). Scope: wood (all of Chapter 44 and part of Chapter 94), soy, palm oil, cocoa, coffee, rubber, cattle.
The substantive change fits in one sentence: what is now demanded is coordinates, not paperwork.
| EUTR (995/2010) | EUDR (2023/1115) | |
|---|---|---|
| The question it asks | Was it harvested legally | Which plot was it cut from, and was that plot deforested |
| Form of proof | Chain of documents | Geographic coordinates of the land plot |
| Reference date | — | 31 December 2020 |
| Obligated party | EU operator | EU operator |
| Penalty | At member state discretion | Including fines of up to 4% of EU turnover |
Russian-origin material: the prohibition that predates EUDR
Where sales into the EU are concerned, EUDR is in fact the second obstacle. The first is sanctions legislation:
- Regulation 833/2014, Annex XXI: import into the EU of Chapter 44 wood products of Russian origin has been prohibited since 10 July 2022.
- Rule of origin: processing in Turkey does not change the origin. Plywood made in Turkey from Russian veneer contains an input of Russian origin as far as EU customs is concerned.
- Plus a trade defence measure: Regulation 2024/1287 applies a 15.8% anti-dumping duty to plywood from Turkey, irrespective of origin.
So for a Turkish producer selling plywood into the EU the picture has three layers: the sanctions prohibition, the anti-dumping duty, and EUDR from 30.12.2026. The three stacked on top of one another make the “into the EU via Turkey” model structurally unworkable.
If you sell outside the EU
For the Turkish domestic market, the Middle East, North Africa, the CIS and other non-EU markets, EUDR creates no obligation. Two practical recommendations even so:
- Keep stock separated by origin. If you later consider selling into the EU, you will not be able to extract clean origin from mixed stock. Separation is the one step that cannot be taken retroactively.
- Keep the documents. Certificate of origin, contract and shipping documents — you may need to show years later which batch came from where.
Where certificates sit in this picture
| Document | Its value under EUDR |
|---|---|
| FSC / PEFC | Does not replace the geolocation statement; a supporting element at most. FSC has been suspended for Russia since 08.04.2022 |
| Russian “Lesnoy Etalon” (Forest Standard) scheme | Has no equivalent in EU law. Usable outside the EU as an indicator of legal harvest |
| Certificate of origin | Necessary but not sufficient — it shows a country, not a plot |
| Phytosanitary certificate | A different subject entirely: plant health, not deforestation |
Our own certification position, and the claims we do not make, are on the about page.
Summary
- If you sell into the EU: Russian-origin raw material is not suitable — because of sanctions legislation, before EUDR even enters the picture.
- If you do not sell into the EU: EUDR does not apply to you, but keep your stock separated by origin.
- Either way: the date and the scope are still moving, so verify the text in force with your own importer.