The BLE (Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung – Federal Office for Agriculture and Food) is the authority responsible for enforcing and monitoring the EU Deforestation Regulation in Germany. It carries out controls and can request your records.
The EUDR – Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of 31 May 2023 – is applied by national authorities. In Germany, that role falls to the BLE.
What does the BLE do under the EUDR?
The BLE supervises whether businesses based in Germany meet their EUDR obligations. It carries out risk-based controls, may inspect due diligence statements and supporting evidence, and can take action where products are not compliant.
What does this mean for your business?
- You must be able to present your records on request
- All documents relating to due diligence must be retained for five years
- The due diligence statement is submitted via the EU system TRACES NT, not directly to the BLE
Who is affected?
Both operators and traders established in Germany fall under the BLE's remit. For timber the obligations apply from 30 December 2026 regardless of company size (Art. 38(3)); the extended deadline of 30 June 2027 – only for natural persons, micro and small undertakings established as such on 31 December 2024 – only covers newly included products.
Note: The BLE is the German authority. In other EU member states a different national authority is responsible. This page describes the German setting.