Negligible risk (EUDR)
Under the EUDR, negligible risk is the level of risk where, based on a full assessment of product-specific and general information and, where necessary, appropriate mitigation, relevant commodities or products show no cause for concern of being non-compliant with the deforestation-free or legality requirements.
Also known as: no or negligible risk
Why does it matter?
Negligible risk is the threshold that unlocks market access. An operator may place products on the market only if due diligence shows no or only negligible risk (Articles 4 and 10 of the EUDR). The definition is in Article 2(26).
How does it work in practice?
The regulation does not give a numeric threshold. The conclusion must follow from a documented risk assessment against Article 10 criteria and, where necessary, risk mitigation. The assessment has to be “full”, covering both product-specific information (plots, suppliers, dates) and general information (country and regional context).
For a lot of cocoa or coffee from many smallholders, a defensible conclusion typically requires that every contributing plot is geolocated and assessed, that flagged plots are resolved or excluded, and that the physical flow keeps unassessed volumes out.
Common pitfalls
- Treating “low” scores from a single tool as negligible risk without looking at data reliability.
- Averaging risk across a lot so that high-risk plots disappear in the mean.
- Not documenting why residual flags were judged not to be a cause for concern.
Clear, plot-level evidence makes the negligible-risk conclusion reviewable by authorities and auditors.
Frequently asked questions
Is negligible risk the same as low-risk country?
No. Low risk is a country classification under Article 29. Negligible risk is the conclusion of due diligence for specific products. Products from a standard-risk country can reach negligible risk after assessment and mitigation.
What does the DDS say about negligible risk?
The operator confirms that due diligence was carried out and that no or only a negligible risk was found that the products do not comply with Article 3, points (a) or (b).
Tell us about your supply chain.
Ten minutes with our scoping assistant. We come back with a first sketch of your service.
