Every due diligence statement submitted in the EU system TRACES NT receives a reference number (alongside a verification number). This number must be passed on along the supply chain.
It lets the next actor in the chain refer back to the statement that was already submitted, without repeating the whole process.
Where does the reference number come from?
When a statement is filed in TRACES NT, the system issues the reference number and a verification number. Together they identify the specific statement.
What do you do with it?
- Pass the reference number on to your customers when selling
- Collect the reference numbers of your suppliers' statements
- Reference upstream statements in your own due diligence statement
Who needs it most?
For a trader, recording and passing on reference numbers is the central obligation, because the product has already been through the due diligence process. A single reference number can also be reused across deliveries in a collective DDS.
In short: The reference number is the thread that runs through the supply chain – issued by TRACES NT, passed on at every handover.