Aerial shot of forest and lakes

EU Deforestation Regulation

Meeting EUDR requirements through robust due diligence

We are committed to full compliance with the EU Deforestation-free Products Regulation (EUDR). We strive to ensure that our wood sourcing and wood-based products are legally produced, deforestation-free, and traceable as per EUDR. Once the EUDR applies to companies, our products cannot enter, leave or be placed on the EU market unless they are deforestation-free.

At the heart of our operations is sustainable forest management, characterized by responsible wood sourcing and a verified chain of custody. Moreover, we have a long-standing policy not to harvest or purchase wood from primary forests. We continuously adapt our IT systems, data collection processes, and reporting to align those with the EUDR requirements.

Due diligence statements & EU Information System

The European Commission has created an EU Information System for receiving due diligence statements. After submitting a statement, the system generates unique reference and verification numbers, which we pass on to our customers. By checking these numbers, our customers can verify that due diligence has been performed and that there is “no risk” or only a “negligible risk” of deforestation.

Crooked tree in a forest

Stora Enso's actions ensuring EUDR compliance

Stora Enso has set an EUDR due diligence process that is applied to all sourcing of wood and wood-based products globally. By applying our due diligence process we ensure traceability of wood and its compliance with relevant laws, company policies, and certification requirements. This way, we can also ensure that our customers get products that are certified or controlled and comply with applicable due diligence requirements.
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Stora Enso due diligence process

Stora Enso’s due diligence process fulfills the EUDR requirements on Information gathering (Article 9), Risk assessment (Article 10 & 13), Risk mitigation (Article 11).

We use a harmonised risk assessment framework for the evaluation of supplier risks, country risks, and supply chain risks, indicating the total risk of the supplied material. If the risk level is other than “no risk” or “negligible risk”, risk mitigation actions shall be implemented.

Supplier risks

Supplier risk assessment includes indicators, such as the type of supplier, the type of product delivered, tree species, supplier’s certification status, and the EUDR status of the delivered material. The EUDR reference IDs received from suppliers are checked for their validity.

Country risks

Country risks are assessed and published in a centralised way. The country risk assessment follows the FSC1 and EUDR country risk methodology. The specific risks can relate to an entire country or certain regions of it, such as a mountainous area or a homeland of indigenous people. Country risks can be for example, but not limited to, risk of bad law enforcement, risks related to high conservation values of forests, risks related to endangered species protection, occurrence of genetically modified trees, occurrence of indigenous peoples’ traditional livelihoods etc.

Our country risk assessment is carried out by using third party data advised in the EUDR implementation guidelines and FSC and PEFC standards. The indicators include, for example, annual reduction of forested area in the country, environmental performance, and corruption.

Supply chain risks

Supply chain risk assessment takes into account the complexity and risks related to the supply chain. For example, the wood supply methods, wood storage practices, and number of supply chain partners are factors used to illustrate the complexity of supply chain. This way, we assess the risk of wood from unknown origin mixing into the supply during the logistics chain.

Mitigation actions

The selection of risk mitigation actions depends on the identified risk. The purpose of the risk mitigation actions is to reduce or eliminate identified sustainability risks at the specific supplier and/or supply chain. Examples of our mitigation actions include: contractual requirements, requests for additional information on the harvested forest or the supply chain, verification of legal documents, and harvesting areas. We may also assess the maturity of the supplier’s due diligence system and evaluate the supplier’s sustainability performance through self-assessment questionnaires or on-site sustainability audits.

Annual review and communication

In case the supply findings of the assessment and mitigation actions indicate increased risk, the supplier is either directly rejected or retuned to the pre-selection phase. The supplier can be supported in improving their performance for example through trainings, information sharing, and support with EUDR traces usage.

When EUDR is live, we will perform an annual review on the findings of our EUDR due diligence process, including risk assessment, and publish a summary of the outcome on Stora Enso's website and in FSC Public Certificate Search | FSC Connect certificate database.


The role of third-party certifications

We use third-party certification schemes, such as PEFC and FSC1, to help demonstrate responsible forest management and the traceability of wood. These schemes provide dedicated due diligence systems and are well-established tools for verifying compliance with sustainability standards, including the EUDR requirements. However, while these certifications support and strengthen our risk assessments, they do not replace our responsibility as an operator to ensure our wood is legally produced and deforestation-free.

By continuously improving our risk assessments, IT systems, and reporting, we aim to give our customers confidence in the origin and sustainability of our products. Ensuring EUDR compliance is part of our broader commitment to responsible sourcing, maintaining deforestation-free supply chains, and supporting the transition to more sustainable forestry practices.

1 Stora Enso Communications’ FSC® trademark license number is FSC-N001919

Forest sunshine

Related policies and guidelines

  • Health and Safety policy
  • Environmental guideline
  • Stora Enso Code
  • Stora Enso Supplier Code of Conduct 
  • Business Practices policy and Human Rights policy, and guidelines
  • Wood and fibre sourcing and land management policy
Explore our policies and guidelines

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