Helping Beverage Companies Navigate the EUDR: Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) Releases Sector-Specific Interpretation Guide

August 7, 2025 /3BL/ - The Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) has released the Beverage Industry EUDR Interpretation Guide, a practical, sector-specific resource designed to help beverage companies understand and meet the requirements of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) (EU 2023/1115).

Effective June 29, 2023, the EUDR introduced strict due diligence requirements for companies placing cattle, coffee, cocoa, soy, palm oil, rubber, or wood - or products derived from them - on the EU market or exporting them from it.

For the beverage industry, this regulation is highly relevant as it covers both raw ingredients (like coffee, cocoa, and palm derivatives) and select wood-based packaging (such as barrels and branded wooden crates). Full compliance for large and medium-sized operators begins December 30, 2025, with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) following by June 30, 2026.

The guide is designed for beverage manufacturers, brand owners, and procurement and sustainability teams who need clear, actionable direction on how to implement EUDR compliance across their supply chains. It provides:

• Sector-specific guidance on identifying which ingredients and materials fall within the scope of the EUDR
• Step-by-step instructions for mapping supply chains, assessing and mitigating risk, and maintaining traceability
• Support for compliance workflows, including preparing and submitting Due Diligence Statements (DDS) via the TRAde Control and Expert System (TRACES), i.e., the EU’s official digital platform for EUDR implementation
• Integration strategies to align EUDR obligations with broader sustainability initiatives like no-deforestation commitments and SBTi FLAG goals

By providing a beverage-focused lens on a complex regulation, the guide empowers companies to reduce compliance risk, maintain market access, and build robust, future-proof sustainability practices.

“The EUDR presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the beverage sector. Our members needed clear, actionable guidance on how to navigate this complex regulation, and that’s exactly what this guide delivers, helping companies meet their obligations while advancing environmental stewardship.” ~ Erica Pann, Executive Director of BIER.

The Beverage Industry EUDR Interpretation Guide reinforces BIER’s mission to accelerate environmental progress in the beverage sector by turning complex sustainability challenges into actionable solutions.

The Beverage Industry EUDR Interpretation Guide is available for download at https://www.bieroundtable.com/publication/beverage-industry-eudr-interpretation-guide/

For more information, please contact: Erica Pann, BIER Executive Director
Erica.Pann@anteagroup.us

About BIER
BIER is a technical coalition of leading global beverage companies working together to advance environmental sustainability within the beverage sector. Formed in 2006, BIER is a common voice across the beverage sector, speaking to influence global standards on environmental sustainability aspects most relevant to the sector, affect change both up and down the supply chain, and share best practices that raise the bar for environmental performance of the industry. By doing so, BIER is able to monitor data and trends, engage with key stakeholders, develop best practices, and guide a course of action for the future. BIER members include Anheuser-Busch InBev, Asahi Group Holdings, Bacardi, Brown-Forman, Carlsberg Group, The Coca-Cola Company, Constellation Brands, Diageo, Heineken, Keurig Dr Pepper, LION, Molson Coors, Monster Energy, Ocean Spray Cranberries, PepsiCo, Pernod Ricard and Suntory Global Spirits. For more information, visit www.bieroundtable.com.