News | 26.10.2026
As part of their support for timber sector companies implementing the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), ATIBT and UICCB are organising a practical workshop on Thursday 12 November 2026, focusing on deforestation and forest degradation risk assessment. The programme will cover free geospatial analysis tools, including WHISP and Global Forest Watch, alongside the use of forest management plans to better understand silvicultural practices and assess sourcing risks.
EUDR: demonstrating the absence of deforestation and forest degradation
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which will apply from 30 December 2026, introduces new requirements for companies placing certain products on the European market or exporting them from the European Union.
For the timber sector, the regulation requires, among other things, that the relevant products originate from plots of land that have not been subject to deforestation after 31 December 2020. It also includes a specific requirement concerning forest degradation: the timber must have been harvested without inducing forest degradation, as defined by the regulation, after that same date.
Beyond compliance with the legislation of the country of production, operators subject to due diligence obligations must therefore be able to document and assess the risks of deforestation and forest degradation associated with their sourcing.
This process involves collecting geolocation data for production plots and analysing information to assess changes in forest cover and the management practices implemented.
Combining satellite data with forest management information
Several free online tools now provide access to satellite and mapping data to support deforestation risk assessment.
Among them, WHISP (What Is Happening In this Place?), developed under FAO’s Open Foris initiative, allows users to cross-reference a plot’s geolocation data with various sources of geospatial information. Global Forest Watch (GFW) also provides tools for visualising and analysing changes in forest cover.
These tools can help identify changes in forest cover and flag areas requiring further verification.
However, tree cover loss detected by satellite does not necessarily constitute deforestation under the EUDR. It may result from logging operations, natural events or other interventions that do not necessarily lead to a change in land use.
Interpreting satellite data therefore requires consideration of the local context, forest stand characteristics and management practices.
In this respect, forest management plans are particularly useful sources of information.
These documents help explain how logging operations are organised, the management systems applied and the silvicultural interventions planned. They include information on management unit boundaries, harvesting schedules, logging methods, protection measures and provisions for forest regeneration.
Analysing these documents can therefore help put satellite-detected changes into context, improve understanding of forest dynamics and identify additional information needed for risk assessment.
Combining geospatial tools with forest management documents therefore offers a complementary approach to strengthening the quality of due diligence assessments.
A practical workshop combining satellite data and forest management
To support companies in assessing deforestation and forest degradation risks, ATIBT and UICCB are organising a practical online workshop on Thursday 12 November 2026.
The workshop will introduce free geospatial analysis tools, including WHISP and Global Forest Watch, to identify changes in forest cover and better understand the information available from satellite data.
Particular attention will also be paid to interpreting these results in light of forest management practices. Through a presentation of the main management systems and silvicultural practices, particularly in tropical forests, participants will gain a better understanding of why certain changes in forest cover do not necessarily constitute deforestation or forest degradation under the EUDR.
Using practical examples, the workshop will also demonstrate how to use information contained in a forest management plan to contextualise observed changes, understand the interventions carried out and supplement the risk assessment.
The aim is to provide companies with practical guidance and operational tools to better assess sourcing risks by combining satellite data, forest management documents and knowledge of field practices.
Practical information and registration
To enable as many people as possible to participate, the workshop will be held in two sessions:
This workshop is intended for producers, importers, traders, processors and, more broadly, all timber sector stakeholders wishing to deepen their understanding of the tools and information available to support EUDR compliance.
