EUDR and traceability – is your labeling equipment ready?
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) sets new requirements for traceability of wood products.
Exactly what labeling should look like has not yet been determined – but the need for unique, machine-readable and durable labeling is clear.
Choosing the right equipment today gives you the freedom to adapt as requirements become more precise.
What is EUDR?
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR, Regulation 2023/1115) requires that wood products sold within the EU do not contribute to deforestation. This means that sawmills, pallet manufacturers and other players in the wood industry must be able to document the origin of the wood – from the harvesting site to the finished product.
Timetable:
Large and medium-sized enterprises (former EUTR actors): 30 December 2026
Other small businesses: June 30, 2027
The regulation has been amended and postponed several times. The exact requirements for how labelling and traceability will be implemented in practice are not yet fully established – but one thing is certain: unique traceability per unit will be required.
What does this mean for labeling in practice?
The exact format has not yet been specified in detail. However, to accommodate enough information – geo-coordinates, certificate of origin, time stamp and reference number – everything points to Datamatrix or QR codes as the practical answer, probably in combination with a human-readable text code.
These 2D codes can carry significantly more data than a traditional barcode and are already established in similar traceability systems within the EU.
What is clear is that:
Each unit or batch needs a unique identifier
The code must be legible and durable – even after impregnation, outdoor storage and transport
The system must be able to integrate with ERP and the EU's information systems
Labels on living materials – a known and costly problem
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Traditional labeling is a natural starting point when marking wood products – but it does not work on living materials such as wood or sawn timber.
The consequence : The label comes off during transport, storage or further
processing – and traceability is broken. Exactly what EUDR does not allow.
The problems with labels on wood are well known in the industry:
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Moisture and resin prevent the adhesive surfaces from adhering properly to freshly
sawn wood -
Temperature changes during outdoor storage cause glue to crack and the label
to come off. -
Mechanical handling – forklifts, conveyors and sorting equipment tear off labels
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Impregnation dissolves glue and ink, making the code unreadable or disappearing
completely -
Aging and UV light degrade the label material long before the product reaches
the end customer
A lost label is not just an administrative problem – it's a traceability hole
which may mean that the entire batch does not meet EUDR requirements.
The solution: Mark directly on the wood fiber
GSI Nordic’s UV inkjet printer applies the ink directly to the wood surface where it is polymerized by UV light, forming a plastic-like film that sticks – not to the wood, but to it. There is no glue to dissolve, no material to tear off and no label to lose. The marking is as permanent as the wood itself.
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Withstands impregnation, pressure impregnation and surface treatment
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Resistant to moisture, cold and prolonged UV exposure
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Readable with industrial code readers and mobile cameras all the way to the end customer
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Black and white ink always provides sufficient contrast – even on dark or discolored surfaces
wood or in the presence of twigs or code strings
Why future-proof marking equipment is crucial
With requirements still evolving, it’s more important than ever to choose a labeling solution that can adapt as regulations change – without replacing hardware. GSI Nordic’s NoLabel™ and Colorize™ printers are built for just that.
01
Software that can be updated
The code that is written is controlled entirely by software .
To be able to adapt to changes, modern hardware and, above all, a future-proof architecture are required.
Our marking equipment is developed in the 2020s, network-based and built from the ground up to be able to adapt to changing requirements and regulations and new protocols.
03
Permanent marking - all the way!
UV-curable ink in black and white forms a plastic-like surface that is resistant to impregnation, moisture, UV light and mechanical wear. Traceability survives the entire life cycle of the wood – from sawmill to end customer.
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Do you want to know more?
Contact us at GSI Nordic, we have decades of experience in marking wood in demanding environments.
contact@gsinordic.se
02
Integration with higher-level systems
The printers communicate with ERP, MES and databases. Unique codes per unit are automatically generated from order data and can be linked directly to the EU traceability system.
The printers themselves can be connected to camera systems to ensure that the codes are correct.
04
Resolution and speed without limitations
Datamatrix and QR codes require high resolution for reliable readability and the printers must withstand both the environments and production speeds they will be used in.
Our printers deliver with the ability to print black+white extreme readability at speeds exceeding current production speeds. The marking never puts production in a queue, neither today nor when requirements become stricter.