why is my statement rejected in the EU information system

A rejection is almost always due to a technical or formal defect

A due diligence declaration is rejected in the EU information system when the system signals an error in the data that has been entered, not because a judgment is made about the content of the risk assessment itself. Think of geodata location that has not been provided correctly, a CN code that does not match the stated product, a reference number that is incorrect, or mandatory fields that have been left blank. The system checks for completeness and consistency of the file as it has been built around suppliers, countries of origin and plots; any issues with that become apparent when submitting. Which data exactly is requested is described on the page about what data must I enter in a due diligence declaration, and the order in which submission proceeds is set out on the page about how do I submit a due diligence declaration to the EU information system.

A rejection does not mean that the underlying risk assessment has been declared defective; it means that the declaration in its current form has not been accepted by the system. After a rejection, the declaration can be amended and resubmitted. It is important to note that an amendment and a new submission are different from amending or withdrawing a declaration that has already been accepted and has received a reference number — the latter is a different process, described on the page about can I still amend or withdraw a submitted due diligence declaration. Anyone who arranges submission through a service provider with an authorised key would be well advised to ask after a rejection what error message the system has returned exactly, so that the amendment is targeted.

Where this is based: the systematic approach of the regulation

Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 requires economic operators and traders to submit a due diligence declaration before a product is placed on the market or exported, and links to this the requirement that the declaration contains the data required by the EU information system for the deforestation regulation. The register itself is the place where technical validation takes place: the system assesses whether the declaration meets the established format and mandatory fields, separately from the substantive risk assessment that the economic operator has carried out beforehand according to their own procedure — those steps are explained on the page about how do I carry out the risk assessment that the EUDR requires of me.