Cattle is the commodity that moves.
EUDR for cattle means that live cattle, beef and offal placed on the EU market or exported must come from deforestation-free land, be legally produced and be covered by a due diligence statement.
Cattle is the EUDR commodity with the hardest traceability ask: the animal moves. Live cattle, beef, offal and prepared beef placed on the EU market need due diligence covering every establishment where the animal was kept, proving none was deforested after 31 December 2020. Hides and leather are no longer on the list: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2102 removed them in September 2026, and leather goods such as bags and shoes were never covered.
EUDR for cattle & beef, in three facts.
Reg. (EU) 2023/1115 · live cattle, beef and offal in scope · hides and leather removed by Delegated Reg. (EU) 2026/2102 · large and medium operators from 30 Dec 2026 · cut-off 31 Dec 2020.
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2102 removed certain bovine hides and leather from the EUDR product list; live cattle, beef and offal remain in scope.
Source: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2102The EU Deforestation Regulation applies from 30 December 2026 to large and medium operators and traders and from 30 June 2027 to micro and small enterprises.
Source: Regulation (EU) 2025/2650Under the EUDR the maximum fine set by member states must be at least 4% of the company's total annual EU turnover.
Source: Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, Article 25
Obligations across a moving asset.
All establishments where kept
Geolocation is required for every establishment where the cattle were kept — indirect suppliers included. Slaughterhouse-only traceability, the industry norm, does not reach the standard.
Hides and leather left the list
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2102 deleted cattle hides, skins and leather (HS 4101, 4104 and 4107) from Annex I in September 2026. Tanneries and leather brands no longer file EUDR statements for them.
Legality alongside deforestation
Production must comply with local law — land rights, environmental and labour rules — in every producing country the animal passed through.
Due-diligence statement
The operator who first places the beef or cattle on the EU market files a statement in the EU information system, with the establishment geolocations. Downstream operators and traders keep its reference number.
The timeline, as it stands.
Large and medium operators come into scope on 30 December 2026; micro and small enterprises on 30 June 2027. Hides and leather left the list when Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2102 entered into force on 18 September 2026.
Three moves that de-risk the deadline.
Map the indirect-supplier gap
Most cattle systems see the last farm before slaughter. List what share of your beef supply can name the birth and fattening establishments — that is the compliance gap.
Anchor identity at the carcass
Animals and carcasses are handled one by one through slaughter and cutting — bind identity there and the chain can carry establishment data to the shipped lot.
Cascade the data clause
Exporters, packers and importers each need the upstream establishment data contractually — write it into purchase terms before 30 December 2026.
One identity from farm to shipment.
Aeroz binds identity at slaughter and appends every custody event through cutting, packing and shipping to an EPCIS 2.0 log with establishment geolocations attached at origin, so the beef lot carries its proof and the statement reference to the EU border. Leather brands that still want to prove where a hide came from, for their own claims or for the Forced Labour Regulation, can carry the same record past the tannery.
EUDR for cattle & beef, answered.
Is leather still in EUDR scope?
No. Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2102 removed cattle hides, skins and leather (HS 4101, 4104 and 4107) from Annex I; it entered into force on 18 September 2026. Leather goods such as bags and shoes were never on the list.
What traceability does cattle require?
Geolocation of every establishment where the animals were kept — not just the final farm. This is the deepest traceability ask of any EUDR commodity.
Who files the due diligence statement for beef?
The operator who first places the beef or live cattle on the EU market, or exports it. Downstream operators and traders keep the statement's reference number and pass it on.
Does the cut-off apply to pasture conversion?
Yes — land deforested for pasture after 31 December 2020 disqualifies the cattle raised on it, which is why plot history, not current land use, is the test.
Know exactly where you stand — in 14 days.
A fixed-fee Aeroz audit maps your products against EUDR cattle and beef requirements and returns a written readiness assessment, a data-mapping review, and a scoped pilot plan with cost and timeline.