EUDR guide for importers
EUDR for cattle
Meat importers and meat industries: trace the origin of cattle and manage your EUDR statements.
For cattle, geolocation works differently. There is no 4 ha rule: you have to give the location of every establishment where the animal was kept, from the farm where it was born to the last feedlot. One point per establishment is enough, but all of them have to be there.
If a meat processor in Spain imports frozen beef cuts from Uruguay or Argentina, the DDS is theirs and needs the history of every animal in the lot. Individual traceability systems in exporting countries help; the work is matching slaughtered animals to the cuts in your container.
Products affected
- Live animals
- Fresh or frozen meat
- Offal
- Preparations and preserves
What information you need
- Suppliers and establishments of origin
- Geolocation of the establishments
- Batches linked to origin
- Evidence of legality
CN codes in scope
| CN code | Product |
|---|---|
| 0102 21, 0102 29 | Live cattle |
| 0201 | Meat of cattle, fresh or chilled |
| 0202 | Meat of cattle, frozen |
| 0206 10 | Edible offal of cattle, fresh or chilled |
| 0206 21 | Edible cattle tongues, frozen (From December 30, 2027) |
| 0206 22 | Edible cattle livers, frozen |
| 0206 29 | Edible cattle offal (excluding tongues and livers), frozen |
| 1602 50 | Other prepared or preserved meat, meat offal, blood, of cattle |
Edible bovine offal (0206) is also in Annex I; frozen tongues were added and apply from 30 December 2027. Hides and skins (4101, 4104, 4107) left the scope on 18 September 2026 with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2102.
What to ask your supplier
- Establishments of birth, rearing and fattening. The location of every holding the animal passed through (Art. 9(1)(d)). The farm of origin or the slaughterhouse alone is not enough.
- Animal IDs in the lot. The individual ID numbers of the slaughtered animals that the cuts in your shipment come from, so their history can be traced.
- Dates. Date of birth and of slaughter. The DDS asks for a production date or range, and the whole period has to respect the cut-off date.
- Legality. Holding registration, environmental permits and lawful use of pasture. A pasture opened in forest after 2020 disqualifies every animal that passed through it.
- Link between carcasses and boxes. If the cuts come from a cutting plant that processes carcasses from several slaughterhouses, ask how the boxes in your container link back to the animals. Without that link you do not know which establishments to declare.
Deadlines
| December 30, 2026 | Large and medium-sized companies importing live cattle, beef or preparations, plus all downstream operators and traders. |
| June 30, 2027 | Micro and small enterprises (and natural persons). |
| December 30, 2027 | Frozen bovine tongues come into scope. |
Dates under Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 as amended by Regulation (EU) 2025/2650.
Frequently asked questions
Do pastures need polygons?
No. For cattle, geolocation covers the establishments where the animals were kept, and the polygon rule for plots over 4 ha does not apply. One point per establishment is enough.
The calf was born on one farm and fattened on another. Both?
Yes. Every establishment where the animal was kept, from birth to slaughter, has to be included.
Is leather still in scope?
No. Bovine hides and skins left Annex I on 18-9-2026 with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2102.
I import beef burgers. Are they in scope?
It depends on how they are classified. If they fall under 0201, 0202 or 1602 50, yes. Check the exact code on your customs declaration in the checker before asking the supplier for data.
Does it apply to cattle raised in the EU?
Yes: the EUDR also covers what is produced in the EU. The EU is classified low risk, so simplified due diligence applies, and micro and small primary operators in low-risk countries can submit a single simplified declaration instead of one DDS per shipment.