what does an EUDR inspection look like in practice and will I be warned

An inspection consists of a document review and often more

A EUDR inspection usually begins with a request for documents: the due diligence statement, the corresponding reference number, and the underlying documents on origin and risk assessment. The competent authority may also conduct physical inspections, take samples or compare data with satellite imagery and other geolocation data to verify that the specified plots match what is actually happening. Which part of the supply chain is examined and on the basis of which risk classification is described on the page on where the competent authority is verifying precisely.

Whether a company is warned in advance is not something a market operator can rely on. Some inspections are announced, for example as part of a periodic sample, but others take place without prior notification, precisely because the inspection must also be able to establish whether the records are in order at a random moment and not only when a company has been able to prepare for it. This means in practice that documentation must be kept in order on an ongoing basis, not just after an announcement. Which documents are involved and how long they must be kept is explained on the page on what must be kept for five years under the deforestation regulation.

What this is based on

Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 gives the competent authorities of the Member States an inspection task, with the possibility to request documents, carry out on-site inspections and use technical tools such as satellite imagery to verify the accuracy of a due diligence statement. The regulation links the frequency and depth of these inspections to the risk classification of the country of origin, meaning that not every company is inspected in the same way or with the same regularity. For the precise elaboration of inspection powers and the role of Member States therein, this page refers to the full text on EUR-Lex and to the European Commission's guidance on the implementation of the regulation.