The EU information system in which due diligence statements under the EUDR are recorded and submitted. The system is the same across the entire EU and issues a reference number for each statement, which is passed on along the supply chain.
TRACES NT is the official interface between businesses and authorities. A statement is only deemed submitted once it has been recorded in this system.
What is TRACES NT?
TRACES stands for "Trade Control and Expert System". The platform is operated by the European Commission and was originally intended for trade in animals, food and feed. For the EU Deforestation Regulation it was extended with a module in which due diligence statements are recorded. It is a central, EU-wide system – regardless of which Member State a business is based in, submission runs through the same platform.
What is the system for?
TRACES NT fulfils several tasks at once:
- It receives the due diligence statement with all mandatory entries.
- It issues a reference number and a verification number per statement.
- It makes the statements accessible to the competent authorities – in Germany the BLE.
- It enables downstream businesses to refer to statements that have already been submitted.
Who needs access?
Access is required, first, by every operator who submits a statement themselves – for example an importer or a forest owner making a direct sale. Second, large traders and downstream operators (non-SMEs) must register in the system, even if they do not file a statement of their own. Small traders (SMEs) generally do not need their own access, but record and document the reference numbers of their suppliers.
Tip: Registration is done via the EU Login. Set up access early and clarify internally who submits statements. This avoids bottlenecks shortly before a delivery.
How are the reference numbers created?
As soon as a due diligence statement is recorded in TRACES NT, the system automatically issues a reference number and a verification number. You pass these on to your customers. Your customers can then refer to your number in their own statement instead of repeating the due diligence from scratch. This creates a continuous, traceable chain. We show how to complete a statement step by step in the article Completing the due diligence statement correctly.
Relationship to other obligations
TRACES NT is the point of submission for the outcome of your due diligence. The geolocation data entered there forms the basis for the official review. Software such as Compliance Compass can prepare the data and hand it over to the system, so that you do not have to fill in every field manually.