Guide
Legal teak in the EU: EUTR, FLEGT, SVLK and EUDR explained
Published 10 October 2026. Facts, rates and dates checked against the cited sources on 10 October 2026.
Today, wooden furniture from Indonesia enters the EU under the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), and customs ask for a FLEGT licence before they release it. From 30 December 2026, the Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) replaces the EUTR, and the importer must file a due diligence statement showing the wood is legal and deforestation-free. Small importers of wooden tables, beds and cabinets get no extra time, because the EUTR already covered those products.
We checked the EUDR dates below against the European Commission's EUDR page on 10 October 2026.
What does the EU Timber Regulation require today?
The EUTR, Regulation (EU) No 995/2010, has applied since 3 March 2013. It bans illegally harvested timber from the EU market. Operators, the businesses that first place timber on the market, must run due diligence: gather information on the species, country of harvest, quantity and supplier, assess the risk of illegal timber, and reduce that risk with more information or checks. Traders further down the chain keep records of who they bought from and sold to (European Commission).
The EUDR repeals the EUTR from 30 December 2026. The EUTR keeps applying until 31 December 2029 to timber produced before 29 June 2023 and placed on the market from 30 December 2026 (EUDR, Article 37).
What is a FLEGT licence, and which countries issue one?
A FLEGT licence is an export licence from a country that has signed a Voluntary Partnership Agreement with the EU under the FLEGT Regulation, Council Regulation (EC) No 2173/2005. It confirms that a shipment was produced legally under that country's laws.
Indonesia issued the world's first FLEGT licences on 15 November 2016 (EU statement, EEAS). Ghana launched its FLEGT licence on 18 August 2025, becoming the second country to issue one (EU Delegation to Ghana).
For wooden furniture from Indonesia, the EU tariff database lists a FLEGT import licence, document code C690, as a condition for release into free circulation (TARIC, checked 10 October 2026). Under the EUTR, the licence meets the regulation's requirements, and importers of FLEGT-licensed products can place them on the market without a due diligence exercise, according to the EU statement of 15 November 2016.
What are SVLK and the V-Legal document?
SVLK is Indonesia's timber legality assurance system, in force since 1 September 2009 according to SILK, the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry's legality information system. Accredited bodies assess forest concessions and timber businesses against it, and Indonesia's FLEGT licensing rests on it. The EU praised Indonesia for applying the system to exports to all markets, not only the EU.
Under the EU and Indonesia Voluntary Partnership Agreement, a FLEGT licence is an Indonesian V-Legal document confirming that a shipment of timber products bound for the EU was legally produced. A supplier's SVLK certificate shows that its operations passed audit. The V-Legal document covers one shipment.
What changes under the EUDR, and when?
The Deforestation Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, repeals the EUTR. The EU amended it in December 2024 (Regulation (EU) 2024/3234) and December 2025 (Regulation (EU) 2025/2650). As of 10 October 2026, the European Commission gives these application dates:
- Large and medium operators: 30 December 2026
- Micro and small operators: 30 June 2027
- Micro and small operators already covered by the EUTR: 30 December 2026
Annex I of the EUDR lists wooden furniture under codes 9403 30, 9403 40, 9403 50, 9403 60 and 9403 91, plus wooden seats under 9401. The EUTR annex already listed wooden furniture under 9403 30, 9403 40, 9403 50 and 9403 60 (Regulation (EU) No 995/2010, Annex), so a small importer of wooden tables, beds or cabinets falls in the third group and works to 30 December 2026. Wooden seats were outside the EUTR annex, so a micro or small operator established by 31 December 2024 has until 30 June 2027 for chairs and stools (Article 38(3)). Rattan furniture, code 9403 83, does not appear in Annex I.
Under Article 3, a product can enter the EU market only if it is deforestation-free, was produced under the laws of the country of production and is covered by a due diligence statement. For wood, deforestation-free means the land was not deforested after 31 December 2020 and the harvest did not cause forest degradation after that date (Article 2(13)). The operator files the statement in the EU information system before placing the goods on the market (Article 4(2)).
The operator must keep the supporting evidence for five years. It includes the common and full scientific name of the species, the country of production and the geolocation of every plot of land where the wood grew, with the date or time range of harvest (Article 9(1)).
A FLEGT licence still counts: the EUDR deems wood covered by a valid FLEGT licence to meet the legality condition (Article 10(3)). The operator still needs the geolocation data to show the wood is deforestation-free.
Who counts as the operator?
The EUDR defines the operator as the person who places the product on the EU market, or exports it, in the course of a commercial activity (Article 2(15)). If your company imports furniture from Indonesia itself, the due diligence statement is yours to file.
What should you ask a furniture supplier for?
- The species, with its common and full scientific name, for example Tectona grandis for teak or Albizia saman for suar
- The country and region of harvest, and for EUDR shipments the geolocation of the plots and the harvest dates
- The exporter's SVLK certificate
- The FLEGT licence (V-Legal document) number for your shipment
- A commercial invoice with the customs code for each item
- ISPM 15 marks on the wooden crates and pallets
Buying through Feels Like Bali? Ask us for the supplier documents for your order.
Frequently asked questions
When does the EUDR apply to wooden furniture?
From 30 December 2026 for wooden furniture under heading 9403, for operators of every size, because the EU Timber Regulation already covered it. Wooden seats were outside the EU Timber Regulation, so micro and small operators get until 30 June 2027 for those. We checked these dates on the European Commission's EUDR page on 10 October 2026.
Is Indonesia the only country that issues FLEGT licences?
No. Indonesia issued the first FLEGT licences on 15 November 2016. Ghana launched its FLEGT licence on 18 August 2025 and became the second licensing country.
Does a FLEGT licence make teak furniture EUDR-compliant?
It covers the legality condition only. The EUDR deems FLEGT-licensed wood legal under Article 10(3), but the operator still has to show the wood is deforestation-free and file a due diligence statement.
Does the EUDR cover rattan furniture?
Annex I of the EUDR lists wooden furniture under codes 9403 30, 9403 40, 9403 50, 9403 60 and 9403 91. Rattan furniture, code 9403 83, is not on the list.
What is the EUDR cut-off date for deforestation?
31 December 2020. The wood must come from land not deforested after that date, and the harvest must not have caused forest degradation after it.
Can I see the legality documents for my order?
Yes. Ask us for the supplier documents for your order.
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